Filipinos in South Korea

infobox ethnic group
group = Filipinos in South Korea


poptime = 70,000
popplace = Seoul
langs = Tagalog, other Philippine languages, English, Korean
rels = Roman Catholicism,citation|url=http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200704/200704050010.html|date=2007-04-05|accessdate=2007-04-10|periodical=Chosun Ilbo|title=A Little Corner of Overseas in Seoul] Protestantism, Islam, othersfact|date=April 2008
related = Filipino people, Overseas Filipinos, other Austronesians

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. [citation|url=http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200512/kt2005121416150311950.htm|date=2005-12-14|accessdate=2007-03-28|periodical=The Korea Times|title=Half a Century of Friendship, Ties]

In the 1990s, the economy of South Korea made the country began to become an increasingly attractive destination for Filipinos going overseas for work. [citation|url=http://www.ilsdole.gov.ph/PAPs/ResCon/rcon_01vw3.htm|publisher=Institute for Labor Studies, Department of Labor and Employment|publication-place=Philippines|last=Ma|first=Angelina|date=2001-12-05|accessdate=2007-03-28|contribution=The Dynamics of Illegal Migration: The Philippines - South Korea Case|title=1st DOLE Research Conference] 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. [citation|url=http://www.dfa.gov.ph/news/pr/pr2004/may/pr341.htm|periodical=Press release|title=Secretary Albert assures Filipinos in Korea of continued government protection for their interests|date=2004-05-28|accessdate=2007-03-28|publisher=Department of Foreign Affairs|publication-place=Philippines] 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. [citation|title=POEA swamped with applicants for Korea|periodical=ABS-CBN News|last=Rosario|first=Alfredo G.|date=2006-12-06|accessdate=2008-04-08|url=http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=28217] 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. [citation|url=http://www.asianjournal.com/?c=186&a=21596|title=Korean embassy hints at action vs. 15,000 undocumented OFWs|periodical=Asian Journal Online|date=2007-07-16|accessdate=2007-09-06]

Aside from manual labor, some Filipinos work in South Korea as ESL teachers due to their fluency in English.fact|date=April 2008 Many live in Seoul, where they gather in the Hyehwa-dong and Dongsung-dong areas of Jongno-gu.

ee also

*Koreans in the Philippines

References