Discriminatory experiences of international students in South Korea

Discriminatory experiences of international students in South Korea

The study explains discriminatory experiences of international students in one of the campuses in South Korea through the lens of neo-racism. Neo-racism is a theory of segregation that postulates discrimination is based on individual’s national identity, culture, and country of origin. For deeper understanding discriminatory perceptions of international students, the study applied a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews with purposive sampling at one aggressively internationalizing university. The study found implicit and explicit forms of discriminatory experiences, discriminatory perceptions of exclusion, different treatments based on nationality, lack of cultural knowledge, stereotype, and English language ability. Drawing from the findings, the study concludes that discriminatory experiences of international students are more status-based rather than country of origin based in a context of South Korea. It suggests that discrimination as segregation exists, and therefore, it is desirable to consider this issue into relevant policies and practices.