신남방정책을 위한 對아세안 일반여권 사증면제의 안보위협 분석: 불법체류자 증가를 중심으로

Abstract

These days, the Republic of Korea (hereafter, the ROK) is pushing a new diplomatic policy called the New Southern Policy, for the purpose of reducing the reliance on four powerful countries surrounding the ROK-the United States, China, the Russian Federation and Japan. As part of this new policy, the Korean Government is considering implementing the visa waiver between the ROK and ASEAN countries, expecting to multiply human mobility between the two parties. However, it is apprehended that the visa waiver increase irregular immigrants in Korea, on the other hand. The irregular immigrants may threaten the Korean security as disturbing the labor market order by illegal foreign workers and/or as arousing anti-immigration sentiments among the general public. According to empirical analysis, the visa waiver does not always increase irregular immigrants. Nevertheless, Korea-ASEAN visa waiver need to be careful when we consider the wage gaps between the ROK and some ASEAN countries. As progressing visa waiver, the Korea government needs to prepare security measures such as Advanced Electronic Registration System for Travel Authorization or to advance it step by step, testing and responding visa waiver program temporarily.