Interpretation in Terms of Critical Multiculturalism on the Multicultural

Education Policy in Korea

Seungeun Choi, Youngsoon Kim

(Department of Multicultural Education, Inha University, Korea)

Abstract: With a rapid influx of immigrants, South Korea has turned to multicultural society. The population of South Korea is more ethnically diverse. In the flow of globalization, mobility of human resource has enhanced the transnational migration. The main elements are “immigrant labors”, “international marriage women”, “defectors of North Korea”, and they classified as “the Multicultural” in Korea. They are having a lot of difficulties in adjusting to Korean culture and social systems by economic deficits, cultural differences and discriminations. In this situation, it is needed to develop the ability to understand and empathize with diversity. Multicultural education may be the effective way to help people to gain this ability. This study was intended to critically analyze the policy, especially multicultural education policy, of Korean Ministry of Education. The major problems are the limit to cognitive improvement for all. It is certainly true that Korean society has developed by changing process towards being multicultural. However, current multicultural education policy in Korea has been focused on the minority and still based on conservative multiculturalism or left-liberal multiculturalism. In addition, more detailed logical analysis is required. That is, it is necessary to expand the view of critical multiculturalism. This study suggests the direction of critical multicultural education as follows: citizenship for democratic society, the possibilities of post-colonialism, social integration, and critical human practice. The discussion of this paper will provide a new paradigmatic viewpoint on the understanding of critical multiculturalism and multicultural education.

Key words: critical multiculturalism, multicultural education, education policy