This file photo shows multicultural students have a class at an elementary school. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 11 (Korea Bizwire) – In response to the increasing number of immigrant teenagers and young adults living in the country, South Korea plans to start a project to support their self-reliance and settlement into society.
Government data showed that as of 2020, there were 269,598 immigrant teenagers and young adults between the ages of 9 and 24, which includes those from multicultural families as well as North Korean escapees.
The number rose by 8.2 percent (20,324 people) from 2019, setting a new record.
During the same period, the nationwide population of teenagers and young adults dropped by 2.5 percent from 8,765,000 people to 8,542,000 people, largely due to the low birthrate.
As such, immigrant teenagers and young adults are increasingly gaining significance within the age group, going from 2.84 percent in 2019 to 3.16 percent in 2020.
“Children from multicultural families are reaching the age for mandatory school education, which has largely attributed to their increased presence,” an official at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said.
According to the Ministry of Education, there were 147,000 children from multicultural families attending elementary, middle and high schools as of 2020, which is 66.9 percent more than in 2016 (99,000 people).
In response, the gender ministry decided to invest 478 million won (US$387,670) to support immigrant teenagers and young adults living in Gyeonggi Province’s Hwaseong and Siheung cities and Gimhae in South Gyeongsang Province in securing employment, self-reliance and settlement into society.
Hwaseong plans to operate facilities specializing in Korean language education, psychological counseling and food assistance throughout five city zones.
Siheung, in which 11.7 percent (62,000 people) of its entire population are foreigners, will offer education services needed in preparation for attending public school, as well as consulting services for acquiring degrees for unenrolled teenagers and designing career plans.
Gimhae plans to offer Korean language education, courses for acquiring a general education diploma, translation services and vocational training for expatriates from Central Asia.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
