KJCKorea
Journal Central

This study aimed to develop and validate a diagnostic instrument for PSC (Problem Finding & Solving, Self-Learning, and Collaboration) core competencies based on the educational vision of University B. To achieve this goal, sub-factors were derived through a comprehensive literature review, and the instrument was systematically developed through item construction, learner review, expert content validation, pilot testing, and a main survey. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the factor structures of the Pcompetency (creative problem-solving, critical thinking), Scompetency (self-management, AI literacy), and Ccompetency (interpersonal collaboration, global communication) were appropriate. Reliability indices were also found to be at acceptable levels. The developed instrument can serve as a practical assessment tool for comprehensively diagnosing university students’ performance-based core competencies.

This study examines the accumulative trends of “multicultural research related to Vietnam in South Korea” published in KCI-registered and candidate journals through a literature-based trend analysis. Going beyond the intent to essentialize a specific ethnicity, this study aims to critically trace the trajectory of knowledge production-specifically, how Korean multicultural discourse has represented and objectified groups with a Vietnamese migration background. Initially, 588 articles were collected from the KCI database using seven search terms; after reviewing thematic relevance and removing duplicates, 159 articles were finalized for analysis. The analysis reveals that related research has increased since the 2010s, peaking between 2016 and 2020 (58 articles), with studies targeting multicultural individuals comprising the overwhelming majority (78%). By academic discipline, the social sciences (59 articles) and education (31 articles) predominated, and case studies were the most prevalent methodology (55.3%). Thematically, the research was heavily concentrated on three main axes: marriage migration and family, cultural content-based intercultural education, and maternal-child health and mental health. However, since 2021, an expansion of new perspectives has been observed, including the multi-layering of migration pathways, digital identities, and regime and spatial analyses. Based on these findings, this study proposes that multicultural research should be reconfigured to move beyond the conventional focus on the adaptation of migrants themselves. Instead, it must foreground interactions with mainstream society-including non-multicultural members-and emphasize institutional and relational contexts.

This study analyzes trends in 841 academic articles on Chinese immigrants in Korea from 2000 to January 2026 to suggest future directions for multicultural research. The results show research is concentrated in social sciences and education, with quantitative and qualitative approaches in parallel. However, the low share of literature and mixed methods indicates limited integrative perspectives. Research focuses on academic and educational migration (54.8%), especially individual and psychological adaptation (51.8%), while economic and occupational adaptation (7.5%) remains underexplored. This study identifies research gaps and emphasizes ‘foundational competencies’ for immigrants’ self-reliance, providing a basis for tailored multicultural policies.