A Closer Look at Labor Migration and Diversity in South Korea

A Closer Look at Labor Migration and Diversity in South Korea

(Purpose): The main objective of this study is to understand how the multicultural environment and social transformations accompanied by the labor migration and human mobility, taking the case of South Korea. This study aims to identify and to understand the factors that influence the labor migration and human mobility. (Design/methodology/approach): Based on a comprehensive analysis of global patterns of migration and human mobility, this study provides a critical assessment of labor migration and diversity in South Korea focusing the cases of Cheonan and Asan cities, hub of immigrants. Using the theory of pull and push factors of migration, the analysis of the labor migration has been done at local level through the depth interviews as primary data and secondary sources of data. (Findings): This study found that the labor migration and diversity of Cheonan and Asan cities are strongly accompanied by push and pull factors of migration, where the pull factors have made a greater impact compared to the push factors. This study argues that Cheonan and Asan cities are gradually converting into the multicultural societies through the rapid increase in the labor migration. (Research implications or Originality): Through the establishment of improved loabor importing policies, the country has a task to respond to the labor shortage that caused by the serious issues of low birth rate and the society of aging population in country.