(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on Nov. 3)

Multicultural policy needs a broader vision
: The president should move beyond disputes over benefits and lead a comprehensive strategy for immigration, integration and Korea's demographic future.

President Lee Jae Myung has spent five consecutive days posting about support policies for multicultural families on X. Beginning on Wednesday, he questioned preferential treatment offered by local governments. When progressive groups and media outlets criticized his remarks, Lee repeatedly defended his position. On Monday, he indirectly expressed further displeasure, arguing that opposition to "political correctness" stems from double standards.

Some local government programs may indeed be excessive, as the president suggests. Surveys show that the proportion of multicultural households earning more than 6 million won ($45,000) monthly rose from 2.9 percent in 2015 to 10.4 percent in 2024. Giving children from affluent multicultural families priority admission to public day care centers or granting their mothers preferential access to public postpartum care centers appears questionable. After two decades of multicultural policies, a review is warranted.

But whether the president should personally prolong this controversy is another matter. If preferential access to postpartum facilities is unfair, he can instruct relevant ministries to examine similar programs. Rather than personally deciding individual policy questions, the president should allow officials and experts to develop appropriate alternatives. Eligibility priorities could be adjusted and income or asset requirements tightened where necessary.

Discrimination against multicultural families remains a reality in Korean society, with 13 percent reporting discriminatory experiences. Their economic circumstances remain relatively disadvantaged, and many work in manual occupations. Their net enrollment rate in higher education stands at 61.9 percent, 13 percentage points below the national average.

Against this background, repeated presidential criticism of preferential treatment could deepen existing prejudice and discrimination. It could also provide ammunition to groups already hostile toward multicultural families.

Following Lee's remarks, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family have announced plans to investigate existing programs or consider improvements. But this piecemeal approach misses the larger challenge.

The debate over whether priority access to postpartum care is justified has become overheated. Meanwhile, serious discussion is missing about how multicultural and broader immigration policies should fit into Korea's long-term population strategy.

Even the national population strategy released last month by the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy failed to adequately address multicultural families or foreign workers. These issues deserve attention as Korea confronts demographic decline, labor shortages and growing dependence on foreign residents.

The government must look beyond individual benefits and consider how newcomers and their families can participate fully in society. That requires coherent policies covering education, employment and social integration.

If the president wishes to lead this discussion, he should focus on major reforms, including establishing a dedicated immigration agency, rather than disputes over individual benefits.
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