A Study on the Multiculturalism in South Korea: Cultural Adjustment and Social Integration of Vietnamese Migrants

Abstract

This study examines the adaptation experiences of Vietnamese migrants in South Korea, focusing on marriage and labor migration. Marriage migrant women, mainly in rural areas, face private domain challenges such as language barriers, social isolation, and cultural conflicts in family and child-rearing practices. Labor migrants, concentrated in urban industrial zones, engage in low-skilled work and experience structural labor market barriers, employment instability, and limited economic self-sufficiency. South Korea’s multicultural transition is not uniform; migrants’ settlement contexts, social positions, and institutional support shape adaptation. Government programs, including the Employment Permit System and Multicultural Family Support Centers, provide essential services but remain limited in scope and duration. Urban Vietnamese communities offer mutual support, facilitating partial integration while sometimes reinforcing social segregation. Economic autonomy is crucial for social recognition. Migrants who achieve stable employment or entrepreneurship experience greater inclusion and reduced discrimination, whereas economic instability perpetuates isolation. Vietnamese migrant experiences provide insight into broader Southeast Asian migration and highlight the need for policies addressing language education, educational disparities, labor market equity, and community collaboration.