{"id":13050,"date":"2026-11-02T06:47:01","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T06:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=13050"},"modified":"2026-11-02T06:47:01","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T06:47:01","slug":"cover-story-migrant-communities-push-back-against-lees-reverse-discrimination-framing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=13050","title":{"rendered":"[COVER STORY] Migrant communities push back against Lee’s ‘reverse discrimination’ framing"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>3 Minute, 47 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\"A<\/picture>
\n

A participant holds a sign reading \u201cI resist racism\u201d at an event marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Seoul, March 15. Korea Times photo by Kang Ye-jin<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

People from multicultural families and migrant rights advocates are pushing back against President Lee Jae Myung\u2019s recent suggestion that certain support policies could amount to \u201creverse discrimination,\u201d warning that his remarks risk deepening social divisions and reinforcing prejudice.<\/p>\n

While acknowledging that Lee may have intended to address fairness in welfare provisions and labor shortages in rural areas, they say his language risks portraying migrants as undeserving beneficiaries. <\/p>\n

Speaking to The Korea Times, they urged the president to exercise greater care, adding that his words carry particular weight in shaping public attitudes toward migrant communities.<\/p>\n

At a Cabinet meeting on Oct. 27, Lee said bringing in foreign workers \u201cdoes not greatly benefit the national economy,\u201d arguing that they \u201csend all their wages back to their home countries.\u201d In subsequent social media posts, he questioned whether government policies should \u201cgo beyond\u201d protecting multicultural families from disadvantages to granting them better treatment, citing priority access to public postpartum care centers as an example.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand that concerns can emerge when people compete for limited resources. But support for such families is meant to address barriers, including difficulties with language and access to information. Before calling that reverse discrimination, I think the government should first examine what disadvantages these families face and how serious they are. I find myself wondering why the term was used so lightly,\u201d said Jeong Heon-do, a college senior whose mother is from the Philippines.<\/p>\n

Jeong added that \u201creverse discrimination\u201d framing risks turning questions about support into conflict between different groups.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people begin to see the issue as one group being discriminated against and another facing reverse discrimination, it creates tensions and makes meaningful dialogue harder \u2026 That\u2019s why this framing makes us feel so uneasy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ko Gi-bok, operating committee chair of the Joint Committee with Migrants in Korea, a civic group promoting migrant rights, also warned that reducing complex structural problems to a question of discrimination between groups could fuel unnecessary tension.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe president seems to be responding to concerns about fairness and a sense, particularly among young people, that Korean-born nationals face reverse discrimination,\u201d he said. \u201cBut those directly affected are highly sensitive to such remarks. They may wonder, \u2018Will this affect my right to stay or renew my visa?\u2019 or feel that the president does not welcome them. That can leave them deeply anxious about their place in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawyer Choi Jung-kyu warned that remarks seen as stigmatizing migrants could fuel hostility and crimes motivated by prejudice, regardless of the president\u2019s intentions.<\/p>\n

He recalled representing an undocumented migrant worker from Vietnam who was chased and assaulted by teenagers attempting to extort money from him in Pocheon, northern Gyeonggi Province, in 2023. The victim was beaten for an hour without anyone stepping in to help, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe president\u2019s remarks are dangerous even if he later says that was not what he meant,\u201d Choi said. \u201cTerms such as \u2018reverse discrimination\u2019 and \u2018excessive preferential treatment\u2019 are strong words that can fuel prejudice and discrimination. They are not words someone in such a position of responsibility should use lightly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"President<\/picture>
\n

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Oct. 28. Joint Press Corps <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Amid the growing backlash, particularly from liberal groups, Lee has defended his stance, saying support for multicultural families should address specific disadvantages and ensure equal footing with other households.<\/p>\n

He said assistance with cultural adjustment, bilingual support and community participation remain essential and should be strengthened. But preferences such as additional points for child care admission and priority access to public postpartum care centers warranted review, he argued.<\/p>\n

For Iresha Perera, a naturalized Korean citizen from Sri Lanka who heads Talk to Me, an NGO promoting migrant rights, the debate misses a more fundamental point: Policies for multicultural families are not well carried out in the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cFew policies are implemented exactly as planned. Policymakers make it, but they do not care how they are well carried out, if people subject to them actually get support from the policies,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever multicultural family issues surface in politics, we laugh, saying we\u2019re going to be exploited again or someone is going to pick a fight with us. It seems like we are being used in an event named \u2018multicultural family.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n\n

\n
\n \n
\n \n \"Happy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Happy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sad\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sad <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Excited\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Excited <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sleepy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sleepy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Angry\"\n <\/a>\n
Angry<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Surprise\"\n <\/a>\n
Surprise<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A participant holds a sign reading \u201cI resist racism\u201d at an event marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Seoul, March 15. Korea Times photo by Kang Ye-jin People from multicultural families and migrant rights advocates are pushing back against President Lee Jae Myung\u2019s recent suggestion that certain support policies could…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-korea","category-trending-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t