Multicultural Education in South Korean Society

South Korea has long been characterised by its ethnic homogeneity, but rapid demographic change over the past three decades has introduced significant cultural and linguistic diversity. This transformation has been driven by international marriage migration, increasing numbers of migrant workers and students, and the arrival of North Korean defectors. Multicultural education in this context seeks to reshape curricula, pedagogy and institutional practices to promote social equity, respect for difference and inclusive citizenship. National policy initiatives have established support centres for multicultural families and introduced tailored language-support programmes, while schools have begun to integrate multicultural content into subjects ranging from social studies to the arts. Despite these advances, challenges remain: many educators report limited training in cultural competence, curricular materials often present tokenistic representations of minority cultures, and prevailing notions of ethnic nationalism can undermine efforts to foster genuine intercultural understanding. As South Korea negotiates its evolving identity, research and practice in multicultural education have global significance, offering insights into how relatively homogeneous societies adapt to diversity and how educational systems can reconcile national identity with pluralism.

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Multicultural Education in South Korean Society publication trend

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Technical terms

Multicultural education: An educational framework that recognises and values cultural diversity, aiming to promote equity and respect across different cultural groups.

Ethnic nationalism: A political ideology that emphasises shared heritage, language and ancestry as the basis for national identity, often stressing homogeneity.

Language ideology: The set of beliefs and attitudes that speakers hold about language varieties and their social significance, which can influence inclusion or exclusion.

Pre-service teacher education: Formal training programmes for prospective teachers prior to their professional service, encompassing subject knowledge, pedagogy and classroom management.

References

1. “I’m not angry!”: language ideologies, misunderstanding, and marginalization among North Korean refugees in rural South Korea. Applied Linguistics Review (2023).
2. Pre-service Teachers’ Awareness and Attitudes on South Korea’s Increasing Cultural and Ethnic Diversity and the Role of Multicultural Education in K-12 Schools. International Journal of Education (2011).
3. Teachers’ Perspectives: Making Sense of Ethnic Nationalism, Ethnic Identity and Multicultural Education in South Korea. International Journal of Education (2015).