Gyeonggi Province is launching Korea's first systematic survey to examine the state of racial discrimination against residents with migrant backgrounds.
The province said on the 5th that it will conduct the "Gyeonggi Province Survey on Racial Discrimination Against Residents With Migrant Backgrounds." The survey is based on the "Gyeonggi Province Ordinance on the Prohibition of Racial Discrimination and Guarantee of Human Rights for Residents With Migrant Backgrounds," the first such ordinance enacted by any local government in Korea. The Gyeonggi Immigration and Social Integration Support Center will oversee its implementation.
Residents with migrant backgrounds refers to foreigners, naturalized citizens and their families living in Gyeonggi Province, regardless of nationality or length of stay.
The survey will target 400 long-term foreign residents (those staying 90 days or longer) aged 19 and above who live or work in Gyeonggi Province, along with naturalized citizens. By August, the province plans to conduct literature reviews, questionnaires, in-depth interviews and expert surveys in parallel to comprehensively analyze discrimination cases migrants experience in daily life and the structural factors behind them.
Based on the findings, the province will build a policy framework spanning prevention, response and awareness improvement. Key directions include establishing core data for the Gyeonggi Province Basic Plan on Racial Discrimination Prohibition and Human Rights Protection, developing a field-applicable "Racial Discrimination Prevention and Response Manual," and preparing education and public awareness initiatives to improve human rights awareness.
In particular, the province plans to build a survey system and database to enhance policy continuity and expertise, and to use them as a foundation for preemptive integration policies that prevent social conflict over the long term.
Gyeonggi Province is home to the largest foreign resident population in Korea, and the survey is expected to serve as a reference case for immigration policy development by local governments nationwide.
"Based on the findings, we will flesh out policies that can be applied on the ground and realize sustainable social integration in which every resident is respected," said Yoon Hyun-ok, head of Gyeonggi Province's Immigration and Social Policy Division.
Meanwhile, the Gyeonggi Immigration and Social Integration Support Center will hold an online kickoff meeting on the 6th to discuss the survey's design, methodology and utilization plans with migrants, experts and researchers.
