Justice Ministry seeks nationwide review of multicultural family support policies

The Ministry of Justice. (Yonhap)

The Ministry of Justice has asked local governments across Korea to report on their support policies for multicultural families, the Hankyoreh has learned, as President Lee Jae Myung continues to question whether such families should receive priority treatment. 

An investigation by the Hankyoreh found that the ministry sent an official letter to local governments nationwide in late October, asking them to take stock of the policies they have in place to support multicultural families.

The request comes after Lee shared a post on X on Wednesday from FM Korea, a conservative-leaning online forum, about a system that gives multicultural families priority access to postpartum care centers. 

“We will thoroughly review whether there is a strong need to go beyond ensuring that multicultural families are not disadvantaged and actually give them preferential treatment, and whether such preferential systems should be abolished. This will include consulting with local governments and even revising the enforcement decree,” Lee wrote.

Critics warned that the move could deepen discrimination against and exclusion of socially vulnerable groups. The following day, Lee posted again, writing that support for multicultural families “must not become reverse discrimination against Korean households.”

On Friday, Lee wrote that support such as help with cultural adjustment and bilingual education should continue to be strengthened, but that “priority benefits,” including extra points for day care admission and priority access to public postpartum care centers, deserve a closer look. 

“I hope for deeper and more extensive discussion,” he added.

The Seoul metropolitan government is also reportedly reviewing the eligibility criteria and fairness of 26 support programs for multicultural families, including priority admission to day care centers and reduced fees at postpartum care centers. 

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said on Thursday that the city would “comprehensively reexamine” its support system for multicultural families.