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Filipinos in South Korea have a history dating back to the establishment of South Korea. 7,500 Filipino soldiers fought in the Korean War on the side of the United Nations Command; among them was Fidel V. Ramos, future chief of staff of the Philippine Armed Forces and later President of the Philippines. After the war, Filipino engineers and technicians workers were instrumental in South Korean reconstruction efforts.[2]
In the 1990s, the economy of South Korea made the country began to become an increasingly attractive destination for Filipinos going overseas for work.[3] By 2004, the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs estimated the number of Filipinos in South Korea at 41,000, of whom 9,000 were undocumented.[4] In 2006, the Philippines' Department of Labor and Employment signed an agreement with South Korea regarding Filipino migrant workers; the Korean side offered a minimum US$700 per month salary, which could rise as high as US$1,000 with overtime pay, would permit workers to remain in South Korea for up to three years, and offered preference to workers who had illegally worked in South Korea previously but departed the country voluntarily by the February 2004 amnesty deadline. Applicants would be pre-screened based on previous employment as well as educational and health certifications; those given preliminary approval would go on to take the Korean Language Proficiency Test administered by the South Korean government. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, which handled the pre-screening, was soon swamped with over 200,000 applicants.[5] By 2007, the Commission of Filipinos Overseas estimated that the number of Filipinos in South Korea had grown by over 70% to 70,000; 6,000 held permanent residency, while another 14,000 - 15,000 were undocumented. In July 2007, the South Korean embassy, under pressure from Korean businessmen in the Philippines complaining of "harassment and extortion" by Philippine immigration officials, stopped issuing visas to Filipinos headed to South Korea for work.[6]
Aside from manual labor, some Filipinos work in South Korea as ESL teachers due to their fluency in English.[citation needed] Many live in Seoul, where they gather in the Hyehwa-dong and Dongseung-dong areas of Jongno-gu.[1]
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- ^ a b “A Little Corner of Overseas in Seoul”, Chosun Ilbo, 2007-04-05, <http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200704/200704050010.html>. Retrieved on 10 April 2007
- ^ “Half a Century of Friendship, Ties”, The Korea Times, 2005-12-14, <http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200512/kt2005121416150311950.htm>. Retrieved on 28 March 2007
- ^ Ma, Angelina (2001-12-05), “The Dynamics of Illegal Migration: The Philippines - South Korea Case”, 1st DOLE Research Conference, Philippines: Institute for Labor Studies, Department of Labor and Employment, <http://www.ilsdole.gov.ph/PAPs/ResCon/rcon_01vw3.htm>. Retrieved on 28 March 2007
- ^ “Secretary Albert assures Filipinos in Korea of continued government protection for their interests”, Press release (Philippines: Department of Foreign Affairs), 2004-05-28, <http://www.dfa.gov.ph/news/pr/pr2004/may/pr341.htm>. Retrieved on 28 March 2007
- ^ Rosario, Alfredo G. (2006-12-06), “POEA swamped with applicants for Korea”, ABS-CBN News, <http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=28217>. Retrieved on 8 April 2008
- ^ “Korean embassy hints at action vs. 15,000 undocumented OFWs”, Asian Journal Online, 2007-07-16, <http://www.asianjournal.com/?c=186&a=21596>. Retrieved on 6 September 2007
