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Journal Central

This paper investigates the process by which Vietnamese migrant women married to Koreans reconstruct their identities through small business ventures. Based on in-depth interviews with a total of 16 Vietnamese migrant women, the study analyzes the impact of economic independence on their identities and social roles. The study found that, first, in order to reconcile the conflict between cultural and normative values between Vietnam and Korea, migrant women voluntarily chose small businesses, which enabled them to realize their aspirations for economic independence. Second, as their contribution to household income increased, their voice and decision-making power within the family expanded, allowing them to actively circumvent patriarchal pressures. Third, their position as business owners allowed them to transcend the negative stigma of international marriage, maintaining their Vietnamese ethnicity while enabling cultural integration in areas such as food culture, child rearing, and language use. Finally, as their business activities strengthened ties between the two countries, the migrant women developed a transnational identity that encompassed a sense of belonging and mobility, designing fluid lives at the boundaries of multiple identities.

This study aims to examine gender differences in discrimination experiences and their effects on health among marriage migrants in South Korea. Using data from the 2021 National Multicultural Family Survey, 6,949 marriage migrants were analyzed. The main findings are as follows: First, there were notable gender differences in the contexts in which discrimination was most commonly experienced. Second, the relationship between discrimination and subjective health varied by gender; among men, discrimination encountered at their children’s schools or childcare facilities was significantly associated with poorer subjective health, whereas no such association was observed among women. Third, discrimination also influenced mental health (depression), with differing effects by gender. For men, discrimination within the family was linked to higher levels of depression, while for women, discrimination in commercial areas was associated with increased depressive symptoms. These findings underscore the need for gender-sensitive policy interventions that address the distinct patterns and health impacts of discrimination. Policy implications arising from these results are discussed.

In South Korea, the term global citizen first emerged in the early 1990s as a byproduct of the broader globalization discourse. It appeared to gain wider traction around 2015, particularly with UNESCO’s promotion of Global Citizenship Education (GCED). However, this study begins with the critical observation that prevailing understandings of global citizenship in Korean society do not necessarily resonate with the UNESCO model. Employing critical discourse analysis, this research examines editorials on global citizen published in major national daily newspapers between 1990 and 2024. The findings reveal that in the 1990s, global citizenship was framed as a new form of national identity that Korean citizens were encouraged to adopt in response to globalization. By the mid-2000s, the discourse shifted to emphasize global citizens as “global talent”, aligning with neoliberal aspirations of competitiveness and international success. From the mid-2010s, with greater involvement from UNESCO and other NGOs, the discourse evolved again-this time highlighting global citizens as agents capable of addressing transnational challenges through solidarity and cooperation. This humanitarian framing increasingly came into tension with earlier narratives centered on cultivating a global elite. In recent years, however, the global resurgence of neo-Cold War dynamics and the rise of nationalist sentiments have led to the emergence of ideologically polarized discourses around global citizenship in South Korea.