Title: Migrant workers and their roles in the Korean economy and society

Authors: Sang-Chul Park

Addresses: Graduate School of Knowledge Based Technology and Energy, Korea Polytechnic University, South Korea

Abstract: Korea's rapid economic development is mainly based on export oriented industrial policy and technological innovation policy supported by an efficient human resource management and a strong education system. Since Korean industries have become globalised, migrant workers started to arrive in Korean labour market. It increased from 300,000 in 2000 to 1,409,000 in 2017. Most of migrant workers are working in SMEs as irregular jobs with low wages although their wages in Korea are much higher than their home countries. This paper focuses on roles of migrant workers in the Korean economy and society. Moreover, it analyses the fundamental reasons why migrant workers pour to Korea in such a short period and which impacts of the migrant workers have created on the Korean economy and society. Last, but not least, it compares situation and working condition of Korean migrant workers with other migrant workers in advanced countries.

Keywords: economic development; globalisation; migrant worker; conflict; job security.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVCM.2022.123548

International Journal of Value Chain Management, 2022 Vol.13 No.2, pp.160 - 177

Received: 13 Apr 2021
Accepted: 04 Jun 2021
Published online: 27 Jun 2022 *

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