Joint Workshop on Integration of Political and Economic Migrants
The 11th joint workshop of the Jeju Peace Institute and Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom took place in September on Jeju island. The topic “Integration of political and economic migrants: Refugees in Europe and Korea” reflected the major developments of our current times. Keynote speaker Ms. Joelle Hivonnet, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Korea, provided the audience with insights of the EU position on the refugee crisis. European countries, Germany in particular, have been coping with large numbers of refugees, especially since the outbreak of the war in Syria. Korea at the same time witnessed a range of higher level defections this year. A few months ago the group defection of 13 restaurant workers in Ningbo, China made headlines. Most notably though was the recent defection of the second man of the North Korean embassy in London, Thae Yong-ho.
Historian Dr Henrik Bispinck, research associate at the Agency of the Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the former GDR, presented the history of refugees from East Germany and how the perception of the refugees changed over times in the West. Dr Adnan Huskic, lecturer at the Sarajevo School of Science and Technology gave an overview of the current situation of migration in the EU. Analyzing the issue from a more quantitative perspective, Prof. Robert Rudolf, assistant professor at the Graduate School of International Studies, Korea University showed how the influx of a large number of people impacts the values of a society. Song Young-sub, visiting professor at Sungsil University, presented on the idea of “small unification” with North Korean defectors in South Korea. Research professor Choi Soon-mi, University of North Korean Studies, provided an analysis of South Korean policies regarding North Korean defectors. Ko Sang-tu from Yonsei University presented his new research on the public image of immigrants in South Korea.
The conference thus did not solely focus on the German experience and its application to Korea. Analyzing media reports about migrants, presenting the experiences of defectors in South Korea and discuss political support measures, the conference brought together experts from various backgrounds and fostered an interdisciplinary perspective on the issue.