Felicia Istad

Abstract Over the past few decades, South Korea has increasingly sought to attract international talent. Every year, hundreds of students are invited to study in the country on a competitive scholarship provided by the government. Upon graduation, students are equipped with a tertiary degree, as well as knowledge of the Korean language and culture. This study examines the determinants of intention to stay in South Korea to work or study after graduation, using a 2019 survey of Global Korea Schol

This article examines the role of production techniques in shaping representations of cultural diversity in South Korean reality television. We first discuss the South Korean government’s evolving guidelines concerning the representation of minorities on television and identify in the guidelines exhortations against discriminatory framing of migrants. Next, we qualitatively examine three popular multicultural-themed reality television shows and demonstrate that the shows ultimately circumvent th

This article analyses how three South Korean multicultural-themed reality television programmes discursively produce Koreanness. We ground our study in scholarship on ‘othering’ and the notion of banal nationalism (Billig, 1995) and conduct a thematic analysis of the shows. Our findings show that the programmes adopt a Korea-foreign dichotomy that becomes a lens through which viewers can vicariously experience the existence of a unified South Korean culture. We argue that the juxtaposition of a

Proponents of new public diplomacy emphasize the importance of two-way engagement with foreign publics. Despite theoretical support for mutual dialogue, there is a lack of studies that examine the means by which governments and other actors of public diplomacy engage with civic stakeholders. Responding to this gap in the research literature, the present study introduces the case of Talk Talk Korea and critically examines how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs engage with foreign publics through onl

Abstract The rapid industrialization of countries in East Asia and the resulting labor shortage are challenging established theories in research on migration policy. Studies argue that the persistence of temporary labor migration programs in this region contests the liberal convergence thesis, which suggests that democratization inevitably leads to more open migration policies. This article revisits the theoretical debate, focusing on conceptual equivalence across time and space. In a comparativ

Most migrants in South Korea reside in the country as foreign citizens. Access to citizenship and social rights are tied to residence status, resulting in differential treatment of foreign-born residents. This article contributes to research on non-citizen hierarchies by demonstrating the formation of fluid hierarchies through a case study of non-citizen political engagement in South Korea during Covid-19. The study employs critical policy discourse as an analytical lens to examine policy cycles

Prompted by the meteoric increase in the number of coffee shops in South Korea over the past two decades, this article explores the various strategies that coffee shop entrepreneurs in Seoul adopt to succeed in one of the world’s most saturated markets. Grounding our study in Bourdieusian notions of taste and distinction as well as contemporary research into coffee shop culture and social class identity, we conducted two rounds of semi-structured interviews with coffee entrepreneurs in Seoul (N

Countries have long considered immigrant entrepreneurship and high-skilled immigration as crucial sources of economic growth and innovation. Still, little is known about what governments do to attract, support, and retain tech entrepreneurs with foreign backgrounds. This article examines startup programs in South Korea. It demonstrates how the demand for tech entrepreneurship is approached through a new set of policies, conceptualized in this study as (im)migrant startup programs. Through these

Soft power, the idea that states can achieve their goals through attraction rather than coercion, has been applied to various contexts, leading to significant concept creep. Still, it remains appealing as a way to describe state behavior beyond military and economic factors. This article proposes a model that returns to the core of soft power, which involves both a positive affective response (“sentiment”) and an explicit political goal (“politicality”). This model clarifies the concept of soft

This chapter examines how South Korea engages with the global society to expand domestic opportunities for economic growth and innovation through the launch of public programs designed to support high-growth entrepreneurial activities among immigrants. Situated within a region of emerging economies, South Korea is facing increased competition in traditional export industries. Demand for innovation mounts in public and private sectors as part of the country’s gradual shift towards a knowledge eco

The book, Doing Business in Korea, is a recently published collection on the topics of business environment, market entry modes and management issues in South Korea (hereafter, Korea). The book is ...

In diverse societies, there is growing recognition that classrooms do not reach all parts of the population. This is especially true for the working-age population, where opportunities for multicultural education and intercultural engagement may be missed. This study examines a non-profit incubator as an alternative site of multicultural education. Drawing on structural functionalism, the incubator is conceptualized as a mediating social institution that promotes integration through shared goals