KLRI : KOREA LEGISLATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Ⅰ. Backgrounds and Purposes

○The 「Multicultural Families Support Act」 is a law enacted in 2008 that aims to  improve the quality of life and social integration of multicultural family members by enabling them to lead a stable family life and fulfill their roles and responsibilities as members of our society. (Article 1 of the Act-Purpose). In accordance with the enactment of the 「Multicultural Families Support Act」 , the general target of support is support for marriage immigrants, national spouse and their children, and discussions on the practical effects and incidental issues of support have been ongoing.

○Diversity and multiculturalism do not have to be bordered and separated, but rather, it is desirable to place them naturally in the diversity that can support our society. There is a concern that international marriage couples in which the meaning of diversity, pluralism, and multiculturalism are buried in the meaning of ‘mixed race’.

○Here, the importance of checking whether the legislative goals of the Multicultural Family Support Act are being achieved can be found. The purpose of the enactment of the Multicultural Family Support Act can be seen to have two purposes- 1) 'improving the quality of life' and 2) 'social integration' of multicultural family members. 

○It is necessary to evaluate how the Act faithfully meets the legislative objectives of “improving the quality of life” and “social integration” of multicultural families. As such, it is necessary to check whether the goals proposed by the law are 1) justified and 2) effectively realized through the law. In addition, anti-multicultural discourses that may hinder social cohesion and ways to overcome them are also reviewed.

 

Ⅱ. Major Content 

○This study evaluates whether the realization of the core legislative purpose of the Multicultural Family Support Act, which is to contribute to the social integration of members of multicultural families, is effectively achieved through the Act. In addition to Article 1 (purpose clause), which states the legislative purpose of the Multicultural Family Support Act, legislative evaluation on Article 5 (promoting understanding of multicultural families), which is a legal clause that can be used as a key operating tool for the social integration of members of multicultural families and Article 6 (Provision of Living Information and Support for Education) is performed. 

○This study is conducted focusing on the ex-post legislative evaluation of the 「Multicultural Families Support Act」 , and the evaluation is conducted by applying the formal ex-post legislative evaluation method such as the legislative effectiveness.

○This study reviews literature research, actual operation of the status, legislative evaluation based on data(statistics, survey), related precedents, and legislative adequacy.

○As a method of data collection related to this study, prior statistical analysis and expert survey were performed. Statistical analysis and expert surveys related to legislative evaluation (promoting understanding of multicultural families (Article 5), providing living information and supporting education (Article 6)) focusing on important legal provisions dealing with 'social integration' under the Multicultural Family Support Act are performed.

○Through an expert survey, the specific perceptions of experts were identified, and data on legislative feasibility or effectiveness from an expert's point of view were obtained. The survey was centered on the online survey, and a sample of 25 people was used.

○Although support for multicultural families has been improved following the enforcement of the Multicultural Families Support Act, there are still areas that need improvement, and suggestions for improvement are provided.

 

Ⅲ. Expected Effects 

○A Review on the practical effectiveness of the Multicultural Families Support Act through the legislative evaluation

○Significant data related to the Multicultural Families Support Act are analyzed and used for legislative evaluation.

○Expert survey will be used as a meaningful legislative evaluation data 

○This research will be able to used as a meaningful resource for revising the law for the advancement