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Marriage Migration Policy as a Social Reproduction System: The South Korean Experience

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Family Life in an Age of Migration and Mobility

Part of the book series: Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship ((MDC))

Abstract

The chapter examines marriage migration policies in South Korea through the conceptual lens of social reproduction. Marriage migration is one of the defining features of the Korean migration regime. Marriage migrants have rapidly increased since the late 1990s, and the marriage migration flow into Korea has been highly feminized. The Korean government has been actively intervening in the process of admission, adjustment and settlement of marriage migrants. Marriage migrants are regarded as ‘desirable migrants’ in Korea since they perform indispensable reproductive roles as wives, mothers and daughters-in-law. In return, they are granted enhanced rights of residency, citizenship and social protection. The Korean experience of (female) marriage migration can contribute to expanding knowledge on migrants’ reproductive roles in households as unpaid care workers.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Gyuchan Kim & Majella Kilkey

Authors
  1. Gyuchan Kim
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  2. Majella Kilkey
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Correspondence to Gyuchan Kim or Majella Kilkey .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

    Majella Kilkey

  2. Department of Gender Studies, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany

    Ewa Palenga-Möllenbeck

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Kim, G., Kilkey, M. (2016). Marriage Migration Policy as a Social Reproduction System: The South Korean Experience. In: Kilkey, M., Palenga-Möllenbeck, E. (eds) Family Life in an Age of Migration and Mobility. Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52099-9_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52099-9_7

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-52097-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-52099-9

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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