Community Media and Multiculturalism in Korea
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- Writer 총관리자
- 보도일자 2010-07-12
In January 2010, eight Korean students and one professor from the Communications Department at Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul, Korea, conducted a research tour to Australia. Responding to growing multiculturalism and increased immigration in Korea, their project aims to understand the role of multilingual media in forming a successful multicultural society. Ultimately the group hopes to influence the Korean Government to introduce policies to assist ethnic minorities in Korea.The university team chose Australia as their research model because of its vibrant and unique multicultural broadcasting sector. The group made contact and visited the NEMBC office to learn more about multilingual community radio and the role it plays in fostering an harmonious, multicultural society.
For a long time, South Korea has been an ethnically homogenous country. Throughout its history, its homogeneity has been an ingrained value that has helped mould Koreans’ identity. Given this, Korean society is a tight-knit society that prides itself with similar values and traits. However, this homogeneity is being challenged by recent changes brought about by globalisation. Korea has become a multicultural society with a rapid increase in the number of foreigners living here.
Just a few years ago, seeing foreigners on the streets of Korea was unusual. Although foreign workers in Korea believe that Koreans are xenophobic, the latter’s indifference or unfriendly attitude toward foreigners was not a major issue. However, this is not the case any more in recent times.
According to a report published by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security in Korea, there were 536,637 foreigners living in Korea in 2006. In 2009, this number was almost doubled at 1,106,884. Given that the total population of South Korea is almost 50 million, foreigners indeed comprise a significant portion of the entire Korean population. However, despite this rapid increase in the number of foreigners in Korea, Koreans are unfortunately not ready to welcome them and mingle with them. As a result, many foreigners are experiencing difficulties in adjusting to the Korean society. This is an important concern as their maladjustment in the society can become a serious social problem. However, even the media does not regard this issue to be a serious one.
As students majoring in communication, we believe that we have a special role in exploring the issue on this particular role of the media in Korean society. Based on extensive prior research, we found that Australia has the best broadcasting system in the world with regard to the role of the media in a multicultural society. To verify this, our team visited several organisations in Australia including the National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters’ Council (NEMBC), Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), Department of Broadband, Communications, and Digital Economy, and the University of Melbourne, among others.
We found that the NEMBC plays a pivotal role in harmonising and bonding ethnically diverse peoples in Australia via the media. In the process, the NEMBC is taking an active part in supporting overall ethnic broadcasting in Australia.Thanks to the members of the NEMBC such as George Zangalis, Russell Anderson, Rachael Bongiorno, and Asahel Bush, we obtained a lot of relevant information on the topic at hand.
Overall, Australian community broadcasting networks epitomise the proper role of the media in an ethnically diversified country. Respecting each community’s independence and autonomy, they facilitate a strong bond between and among local communities. From our visit to the NEMBC, we learned that the most important factors for multicultural broadcasting to thrive successfully are government support and the active the participation of local communities. Without the former, running broadcasting stations is virtually impossible. Without the latter, multilingual broadcasting can never be successful.
We found the functions and activities of the NEMBC to be very impressive and informative. The NEMBC serves as the bridge between the government and ethnic groups. It lobbies the government for funds and trains ethnic broadcasters. By lobbying, the NEMBC establishes a firm foothold for ethnic broadcasters. By training, it attracts voluntary participation from ethnic groups and gives local minority communities a voice to speak out and raise their issues. Therefore, we concluded that what mobilised the government and ethnic groups to do their share in multicultural broadcasting in Australia is the NEMBC.We can then say that the NEMBC is a real backbone and pillar of multiculturalism in Australia.
Now more than ever, Korea should take its important step toward the creation of a harmonious multicultural society. To pursue this, the Korean broadcasting system has a significant role to play, much like the Australian case, in respecting cultural differences. Difference does not mean discrimination. Diversity is an important value on its own. In working for this, we believe that the Australian model which respects and integrates ethnic groups and immigrants alike into the society is an excellent example for Korea to follow. We hope that in the long run, Korea treads on the same path of harmonious and peaceful multiculturalism in which the Korean broadcasting system plays a major role.
By Elizabeth Y. Kwon
Representing the Shim’s Angels group
Sookmyung Women’s University
Republic of Korea