Social situation
Immigrant women were experiencing cultural differences in Korea in terms
of political and economic aspects, especially in terms of socioeconomic
difficulties and discrimination. In terms of politics, China and Vietnam
aim for socialism, and Korea aims for individualism. However, not many
participants talked about political ideology or viewed it as a cause of
difficulty in adapting to Korea. On the other hand, more attention was
paid to the fact that the labor standards in the socialist system were
different from those in Korean society.
Koreans and Chinese are different because China is originally a
communist country. So some people who don’t work can get a higher salary
than the people who work. So in China, if you’re hired by a company,
it’s like being a civil servant. A person can go to the office and drink
tea and read newspapers all day long and get paid. Individualism is too
strong in Korea. However, it seems to have its pros and cons.
(participant 2)