• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.27-45
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• 1990

Two opposing views prevail regarding the economic impact of rural out-migration on the rural areas of origin. The optimistic neoclassical view argues that rapid rural out-migration is not detrimental to the income and welfare of the rural areas of origin, whereas Lipton (1980) argues the opposite. We developed our own alternative model for rural to urban migration, appropriate for rapidly developing economies such as Korea's. This model, which adopts international trade theories of nontraded goods and Dutch Disease to rural to urban migration issues, argues that rural to urban migration is caused mainly by two factors: first, the unprofitability of farming, and second, the decrease in demand for rural nontraded goods and the increase in demand for urban nontraded goods. The unprofitability of farming is caused by the increase in rural wages, which is induced by increasing urban wages in booming urban manufacturing sectors, and by the fact that the cost increases in farming cannot be shifted to consumers, because farm prices are fixed worldwide and because the income demand elasticity for farm products is very low. The demand for nontraded goods decreases in rural and increases in urban areas because population density and income in urban areas increase sharply, while those in rural areas decrease sharply, due to rapid rural to urban migration. Given that the market structure for nontraded goods-namely, service sectors including educational and health facilities-is mostly in monopolistically competitive, and that the demand for nontraded goods comes only from local sources, the urban service sector enjoys economies of scale, and can thus offer services at cheaper prices and in greater variety, whereas the rural service sector cannot enjoy the advantages offered by scale economies. Our view concerning the economic impact of rural to urban migration on rural areas of origin agrees with Lipton's pessimistic view that rural out-migration is detrimental to the income and welfare of rural areas. However, our reasons for the reduction of rural income are different from those in Lipton's model. Lipton argued that rural income and welfare deteriorate mainly because of a shortage of human capital, younger workers and talent resulting from selective rural out-migration. Instead, we believe that rural income declines, first, because a rapid rural-urban migration creates a further shortage of farm labor supplies and increases rural wages, and thus reduces further the profitability of farming and, second, because a rapid rural-urban migration causes a further decline of the rural service sectors. Empirical tests of our major hypotheses using Korean census data from 1966, 1970, 1975, 1980 and 1985 support our own model much more than the neoclassical or Lipton's models. A kun (county) with a large out-migration had a smaller proportion of younger working aged people in the population, and a smaller proportion of highly educated workers. But the productivity of farm workers, measured in terms of fall crops (rice) purchased by the government per farmer or per hectare of irrigated land, did not decline despite the loss of these youths and of human capital. The kun having had a large out-migration had a larger proportion of the population in the farm sector and a smaller proportion in the service sector. The kun having had a large out-migration also had a lower income measured in terms of the proportion of households receiving welfare payments or the amount of provincial taxes paid per household. The lower incomes of these kuns might explain why the kuns that experienced a large out-migration had difficulty in mechanizing farming. Our policy suggestions based on the tests of the currently prevailing hypotheses are as follows: 1) The main cause of farming difficulties is not a lack of human capital, but the in­crease in production costs due to rural wage increases combined with depressed farm output prices. Therefore, a more effective way of helping farm economies is by increasing farm output prices. However, we are not sure whether an increase in farm output prices is desirable in terms of efficiency. 2) It might be worthwhile to attempt to increase the size of farmland holdings per farm household so that the mechanization of farming can be achieved more easily. 3) A kun with large out-migration suffers a deterioration in income and welfare. Therefore, the government should provide a form of subsidization similar to the adjustment assistance provided for international trade. This assistance should not be related to the level of farm output. Otherwise, there is a possibility that we might encourage farm production which would not be profitable in the absence of subsidies. 4) Government intervention in agricultural research and its dissemination, and large-scale social overhead projects in rural areas, carried out by the Korean government, might be desirable from both efficiency and equity points of view. Government interventions in research are justified because of the problems associated with the appropriation of knowledge, and government actions on large-scale projects are justified because they required collective action.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the actual condition of social support and loneliness and to examine of the relation between social support and loneliness in migrant workers. Methods: One hundred and thirty migrant workers were sampled from two churches located at Seoul and Gyeonggi-do in order to collect basic data onmigrant workers from August to December, 2007 using a questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA test. Results: 1) The average scores of social support and loneliness were $3.73{\pm}0.31$ and $2.57{\pm}0.31$, respectively. 2) With respect to the general characteristics of subjects, there was no statistically significant difference in social support, but there was a significant difference in loneliness according to religion (t=2.586, p=.001). 3) The correlation coefficient between social support and loneliness was not significant (r=-.010, p=.929). Conclusion: Social support should be considered in nursing intervention to decrease the level of loneliness in migrant workers. More studies are needed to identify variables influencing social support and loneliness in migrant workers.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.197-201
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• 1974

The rapid economic development of Korea since 1960 has also brought a rapid urbanization process, and recently many rural areas have begun to show actual depopulation, in which particularly the young, productive and high educated groups are leaving for cities. More than 70% of migrators go to large cities such as Seoul, Pusan and Taegu. Their main motives for migration are to seek a job in urban areas. The study showed following results; The rate of migration a year was 1% of total population. Regarding the age of migrators belong to between 10-39 years old, especially migrator aged 10-29 years are comprised 87%. The educational level of migrators was a little higher than that of the residents. Considering the sibling order of migrators, the traditional value system for first son seemed to change. Concerning the place of destination, more than 70% of migrators moved to large cities such as Seoul. Pusan and Taegu. The main motivation of migration was to seek a job in urban areas. The occupation at the place of destination were factory workers, employee at company, students, salesmen, farmers and public officials in that order.

• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.73-107
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to shed light on the characteristics of the social relations of migrant workers in the Ansan area and the factors for the construction of those characteristics. The social relations of migrant workers in the Ansan area are affected by the Korean government's policy of EPS, a short-term rotation policy and its ban on the settlement of migrant workers. These workers are likely to form a temporary and bounded social relationship. The bounded social relationship of migrant workers to society is one of the major factors that put them in social poverty. Ethnic communities, support organizations for migrant workers, and local government agencies have assumed the task of helping build the network among migrant workers of various ethnic backgrounds as well as aiding their participation in local social activities. The status of a temporary resident is the prime reason for spatial exclusion and social poverty among migrant workers. To prevent the exacerbation of these phenomena, this study suggests that the government reconsider its short-term work permit policy for less skilled workers.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.477-486
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• 2014

Objective:This study aims to devise industrial injury prevention measures by analyzing industrial injury characteristics including the status of industrial injuries, source of industrial injury and accident type in order to prevent aging workers' industrial injuries that account for more than half in the workplaces in agriculture. Background: Continuous migration from farm to city takes place among young people in rural areas in Korea, a traditionally agricultural country due to rapid industrialization and economic development. The aging rate in rural areas in 2013 was 37.3%, about three times higher than the total aging rate of 12.2% in Korea. According to industrial injury statistics of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the number of industrial injuries in agriculture shows an uptrend and the industrial injuries of aging workers account for more than 50% each year. Method: Of the 2,970 industrial injury cases occurred in the workplaces in agriculture for five years during 2008 and 2012 offered by a national agency related to health and safety, this study analyzed 1,767 industrial injury cases of aging workers. Results: As a result of an analysis on aging workers' industrial injuries by company size in agriculture, 89.8% of the total number of industrial injuries were analyzed to occur in small scale company. According to aging workers' industrial injuries by source of industrial injury and accident type, the outdoor floor and a fall were analyzed to be the highest at 16.5% and 26.1%, respectively. Conclusion: This study analyzed aging workers' industrial injuries by company size, age, job duration, accident severity, gender, nationality, the source of industrial injury and accident type in order to identify industrial injury characteristics in agriculture. Application: The identification of industrial injury characteristics of aging workers in agriculture is judged to be helpful to devising effective measures to prevent industrial injuries.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.79-106
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• 2013

The research intended to analyse gender identities of Korean male migrant workers in Germany through the biographical case reconstruction. Five cases were reconstructed and the following conclusions were drawn: A 'work-oriented identity of man as an individual' was formed through their biographies. And according to the terms of the interruptions and the discontinuities in their employment biographies, and in relation with their experiences of employment and marriage before migration, the 'work-oriented identity of man as an individual' was continuously or discontinuously reproduced in their experiences with welfare systems and social services in migration, as well as delayed or compressively differentiated in combination with a 'livelihood and household responsibilities sharing or sharing-exclusive identity of man as a husband' in their same experiences. Based on these results, some implications for the theory and practice of social work were addressed, furthermore some implications for the biographical research.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.7-16
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• 2020

Purpose: This study explores how demographic transitions with workforce implications taking place in South Korea are affecting the job market, and proposes a novel conceptual model to analyze the increased role that migrant workers will play as the changes progress in the medium term. Research design, data and methodology: A qualitative approach based on the available published data is used in order to create a conceptual model that could be used to determine the order in which job sector strata will be gradually taken over by migrant workers, as the demographic transitions will create an increasing need for workforce reforms. Results: The study determines that migrant workers will replace domestic Korean workers in a stratified manner, initially in rural areas, followed by regional cities and then in the industrial areas on the edges of big cities, and the strata can be analyzed based on a proposed four-category model to determine where the opportunities will open. Conclusion: It is possible to use a conceptual model for this phenomenon. Extensive Government planning is needed to avoid possible social exclusion problems and to determine how to keep the economies of rural and regional Korean cities economically viable while they are becoming increasingly depopulated.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.221-231
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• 2021

This paper identify factors of migration of employees' household who work for relocated public institutions. As a factors of migration, we consider individual and household characteristics, the gravity model of distance and population and so on. Considering discrete dependant variable and structure of data, we employ the logistic multilevel model and random intercept model. The result indicates employees' who are female, 30s and 40s, higher education level(PhD) and whose spouse are unemployed tend to transfer their residential registration to new city near relocated public institution. Regarding regional variable, the distance from employee's previous residential location and number of migration of prior year are statistically significant. Also the model indicate regional economy, educational and residential environment of new city influence employee's decision for transferring residential registration.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.147-168
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• 2007

The objective of this study is to examine the studies of foreign workers in Korea at a level of meta-analysis focusing on their subjects and methodology. Over the last 15 years, studies of foreign workers have diversified subjects and refined methodology reflecting major characteristics of migration patterns including a rapid increase in number, large populations of illegal sojourners, a majority low-skilled young male workers from less developed countries, and an active role of migrant-support NGOs. Nevertheless, the studies have shown problems such as a higher ratio of macroscopic discussions, overemphasis on social problematic issues and a tendency towards descriptive analysis. Methodologically, they have also revealed an inactive use of empirical and quantitative data, lack of representativeness of sample and disregard of an importance of language in the study of foreigners. Based on the analysis, this study proposes strategies to enhance researches of foreign workers in Korea.

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2023

With the restriction of foreigners' entry into Korea due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fishery industry faced significant challenges in supplying migrant workers. In response to this, there is growing interest in methods that could facilitate the stable employment of migrant workers. This paper investigates whether the current system used for the employment of migrant workers in the fishery industry, which is highly dependent on them, adequately performs its function of providing a stable and skilled workforce amid the intensified labor shortage resulting from decreasing numbers of households with employment in the fishery and the aging Korean fishermen. To this end, past studies and government documents pertaining to the current system were analyzed, and a survey targeting the owners of offshore fishing boats that employ migrant workers was conducted. A total of 147 owners of fishing boats responded to the survey, and the data of 499 migrant workers employed by them were used for the analysis. The analysis indicated that the migrant fishermen had difficulty in acquiring minimum scores for the change of visa status according to the criteria for the Skilled Worker Points System. Furthermore, distinct differences were found between the characteristics and working conditions of migrant workers employed through the Employment Permit System (EPS) and the Foreign Seamen System. Based on this result, this paper suggests the reorganization of the skilled migrant worker system in the fishery industry and the expansion of the regional specialized visa pilot project.