Candidate Lee Jeong-hee Holds Policy Meeting on Multicultural Families

Discussion on Institutional Improvement Measures Including Protection of Rights and Guarantee of the Right to Pursue Happiness

Lee Jeong-hee, a preliminary candidate of the Democratic Party for the National Assembly election in Dongnam (Gap), Gwangju Metropolitan City, met with multicultural families in Nam-gu on the 19th to listen to their difficulties. Photo by Lee Jeong-hee Preliminary Candidate Election Office

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Lee Jeonghee, a preliminary candidate of the Democratic Party for the National Assembly election in Dongnam (Gap), Gwangju Metropolitan City, met with multicultural families in Nam-gu to listen to their difficulties.

On the 19th, Candidate Lee held a policy meeting with multicultural families and took time to discuss institutional improvement measures to protect their rights and guarantee their pursuit of happiness.

Currently, there are about 670 households and 2,500 multicultural family members in Nam-gu, Gwangju. They consist of immigrant married women from various countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, China, Cambodia, and Japan.

At the policy meeting, multicultural families pointed out the issue of medical insurance not being applied to the parents of immigrant married women who visit Korea for a short period due to childcare and other problems, as well as the problem of the visit period being limited to only three months, and requested solutions.

Most immigrant married women are dual-income couples, and to resolve childcare issues, the parents of immigrant married women visit Korea for a short period to share childcare responsibilities. However, due to the system that does not apply medical insurance for six months or requires departure and re-entry every three months, they have to bear excessive medical expenses and costs for departure and re-entry.

Candidate Lee stated, “It has been 13 years since the Multicultural Families Support Act was enacted in 2008, but systematic support for immigrant married women and their families is still lacking in many ways,” and pointed out, “Especially laws targeting immigrants such as the Nationality Act, Immigration Control Act, Foreign Employment Act, and Refugee Act are being operated in a disorganized manner, causing inconvenience to multicultural families.”

He continued, “To resolve these difficulties faced by multicultural families, once I enter the National Assembly, I will work to strengthen social recognition that multicultural families are proud members and families of our society,” and emphasized, “I will propose various bills to protect the rights and guarantee the pursuit of happiness of multicultural families and promote institutional improvements.”