“An Nyeong Ha Se Yo. I am not a foreigner anymore. My blue eyes? What do they matter, really? I speak Korean -- and that’s how I earn my bread,” says Professor Park No-ja of the University of Oslo. He does have a little bit of accent. But when he speaks about Korea, he is about as fluent as it gets. In his teens, he says, he became fascinated by Korean cinema and literature. Eventually, he earned a degree in Korean history, which he now teaches at the University of Oslo. If you look at him, he may appear to be just another alien from the West. Once you begin chatting with him, you’ll become totally oblivious to his “alien” appearance. He is not only articulate but also knows a lot about Korea.
 In recent years, the number of naturalized Koreans soared. According to the Ministry of Justice, the total of naturalized citizens in 2009 stood at 25,044, more than doubling from 11,518 of 2008. By place of birth, those from China numbered the most with 19,432 (78 percent). Vietnam came in second at 3,762 (15 percent), followed by the Philippines at 815 (3 percent). As reasons for naturalization, marriage to a Korean spouse was cited most often: 17,141(68 percent). Among the rest, 7,440 (30 percent) were the children of those who chose to be naturalized as Koreans or those whose ancestors made meritorious contribution to Korea’s independence. Particularly notable among the high-profile cases of naturalization is Mr. Lee Cham, who recently became the first naturalized citizen to head a public office. He first came to Korea thirty years ago to attend a religious gathering and attained his citizenship 1986, becoming the progenitor of a Lee Family of German coronym.  Having lived in Korea more than half of his life, he says, he is no less patriotic than those who were born here. Mr. Lee’s appointment to a high-ranking government post is symbolic of how far Korean society has gone toward accepting naturalized citizens. And there are Korean diaspora coming home, mostly Chinese of Korean ancestry. Lee Hyang-mae (22), a college student from Harbin is about to be naturalized as a Korean citizen. “My father has already been naturalized. And my own citizenship application will be approved in August. I’m so happy because I will now be able to say ‘I am a Korean’ with confidence. When I was young, I was so confused about my identity. I never felt that I was a Chinese -- nor a Korean. With the forthcoming citizenship, I will be a full member of Korean society.”
Immigrants like Hyang-mae, who are hardly distinguishable from home-grown Koreans in appearance, have relatively little problem mingling in. Unfortunately, others from more distant cultures (especially countries of low economic stature) can be subject to prejudices and discrimination. Multi-cultural community is fast becoming a reality. Dwelling on Korea’s supposed homogeneity would be sadly out of date.

Source : THE KOOKMIN REVIEW No.215