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Foreigners who married Koreans and are now learning Korean.
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1 in 4 seeks to avoid contact, citing ’difference’
A recent survey shows that while South Korean children do not fear foreigners residing in Korea, about 1 in 4 said they sought to avoid contact with them because of differences in language and appearance. According to a survey by the Solidarity for Peace and Human Rights of Asia, 44.3 percent of 500 elementary school kids in Pusan (Busan) had curiosity about foreign resident in the nation. About 19.5 percent of them thought that foreigners were "pitiful people from poor countries," while 25 percent replied that they did not want to associate with them because foreigner’s "skin color and language are different." The findings show that 81.3 percent of the children had met foreigners. The children came to know about foreigners through television (33.0 percent), private language institutes (17.9 percent), or the Internet (12.3 percent).When asked, "Why do you think foreigners are discriminated against in Korean society?", 42.1 percent of the students cited different appearance. Asked to categorize foreigners in order of preference, the children preferred Asians with similar features, followed by Euro-Caucasians, and then those of African descent or similarly featured. Children who had met foreigners showed a higher preference for them than those who have never met them. "Korean schools should conduct education to promote understanding on people from different cultures in order for the children to understand the nation’s reality, in which Koreans live together with over 400,000 immigrants," said Jeong Jeong-soo, an official of Solidarity for Peace & Human Rights of Asia. "As most children broaden their awareness about foreigners through the media, the media should be careful to report [accurately] so that children do not bear prejudice against foreigners."
