A recent study has revealed a more pronounced tendency among urban residents in South Korea to exclude foreign immigrants and workers compared to their rural counterparts. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEJONG, Feb. 14 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent study conducted by the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements has revealed a more pronounced tendency among urban residents in South Korea to exclude foreign immigrants and workers compared to their rural counterparts.
The study, titled “Are Cities Really Tolerant? A Comparison of Urban and Rural Residents’ Attitudes Towards Immigrants,” found that 29% of urban dwellers and 26.4% of rural residents preferred not to have foreign workers or immigrants as their neighbors.
The resistance extends to international refugees as well, with 48.6% of urban and 43.7% of rural inhabitants expressing reluctance to live alongside them. This study was based on the 2021 “National Multicultural Acceptance Survey,” which involved 5,000 participants aged 19 to 74 across the country.
The urban population also showed slightly higher rates of rejection towards habitual drug users, individuals diagnosed with AIDS, and homosexuals compared to rural areas. However, rural residents were slightly more resistant to having homosexuals as neighbors.
When it comes to forming social relationships with immigrants, urban residents reported feeling more discomfort than those in rural areas. The discomfort levels were quantified, with urban areas scoring 3.9 (out of 5) and rural areas 3.7 in terms of discomfort in having immigrants as work colleagues.
Job fair for marriage immigrants (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Similarly, urban dwellers scored 3.7, and rural residents 3.1 when it came to befriending immigrants, indicating a higher level of discomfort among city inhabitants.
The findings suggest that urban residents have stronger expectations for immigrants to conform unilaterally, show a stronger tendency to reject or avoid immigrants, and exhibit a weaker willingness to engage in mutual exchanges.
Furthermore, urban residents are more likely to think that increased immigration would result in negative changes in their neighborhoods and view national changes due to increased immigrant populations negatively.
The Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements highlighted that policies aimed at improving perceptions of immigrants, without considering the differentiated conditions between regions, may not lead to tangible changes.
So-Hyun Lee, a research fellow at the institute, emphasized the need for improving the surroundings and holding interactive activities in residential areas with higher immigrant populations to foster positive perceptions among local residents towards community changes caused by immigration.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
