A Study of Nepalese Migrant Communities in South Korea: With Focus on the Role of Migrant Communities and Challenges = 한국의 네팔 이민자 커뮤니티에 대한 연구: 이민자 커뮤니티의 역할과 도전을 중심으로

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The out-migration in Nepal has taken the form of a large scale. The number of Nepalese migrant workers in the destination countries is growing and so is the number of their communities in the destination countries. Through their social networks and transnational activities, the communities have been playing crucial roles in addressing the issues of migration in the destination countries along with their contribution to socio-economic and political development in Nepal.
Korea has become a new attractive destination for Nepalese migrants. There are over a hundred Nepalese communities actively making significant impacts to help the needy fellow migrant workers in Korea and also to contribute back home in many ways. However, the operation of such communities in the foreign land is not as easy as it seems. Hence, the present study aims to understand the role of Nepalese communities in South Korea, the challenges of their operation and management and their contributions in Nepal. Qualitative research methods, case studies of the communities, and interview with the community representatives were employed to answer the research question.
The analysis of the research data finds that the Nepalese migrant communities in South Korea are diverse. Such diversity not only reflects their diverse Nepalese identities but also determines their diverse roles in South Korea and Nepal both. The roles of the Nepalese communities are crucial in supporting their members and migrant workers to meet their needs such as shelter and medical treatment and employment opportunities in case of emergency. The diverse activities of the communities such as celebration of festivals and national days have provided their members and other migrants with an opportunity to exchange, build social networks, and stand united. Besides, the roles of the communities are instrumental in bridging the communication gap between their members, the Nepalese Embassy and stakeholders, and the Korean authorities. The engagement of the communities in South Korea and Nepal both demonstrate their transnational attributes leading to positive impacts and contributions.
However, the challenges faced by Nepalese communities have affected their operation and management. Working conditions of migrant workers, especially hectic long working hour work pressure has led to the less or no participation of the members and migrant workers in the activities and events organized by communities. Due to the resource constraint, the communities has limitation on organizing their program and support to Nepalese migrants in South Korea. Despite their contributions, the members feel the lack of proper recognition by the authorities. On top of that, conflict of political interests, ideology and behavior has often led to polarization and divide among the communities. Despite challenges, the attribute of transnationalism and social network sustained by Nepalese migrant communities has facilitated their contribution on socio-economic and political development in Nepal.

Keywords: International migration, migrant community, social network, transnational, Nepal, South Korea

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Table of Contents
• Abstract iii
• List of Tables vi
• List of Figures vi
• Abbreviation vii
• 1. Introduction 1
• A. Background 1
• B. Research Problems and Objective 5
• C. Research Questions 7
• D. Significance of Study 7
• E. Outline of the study 8
• 2. Literature Review 10
• A. Studies on migrant communities 10
• B. Studies on Nepalese migrant communities outside Korea 14
• C. Studies on Nepalese migration to Korea 17
• D. Definition on Migrant Community 27
• 1). Nepalese Migrant Community 31
• 3. Out-migration of the Nepalese and the 34
• formation of migrant communities 34
• A. International Migration in Nepal 34
• 1). Historical Perspective 34
• 2). Reasons for International Migration 36
• 3). General Trends of Out-Migration 37
• (Foreign Labor Migration) 37
• B. Migration to Korea 42
• C. Nepalese Migrant Communities 44
• 1). Migrant Communities in Popular Destination Countries 44
• 2). Nepalese Migrant Communities in South Korea 46
• 4. The Role of Nepalese Migrant Communities and 48
• Challenges in South Korea 48
• A. Research Design and Methods 48
• 1). Research Design 49
• 2). Selection of Study Area and Respondent Profile 50
• B. Data Collection 63
• 1). Sources of the Data Collection 63
• 2). Limitation and Constraints 65
• 3). Ethical Considerations 65
• C. Analysis 66
• 1). Role of Nepalese Migrant Communities in Korea 66
• 2). Challenge for Nepalese Migrants Communities 70
• 3). Socio-Economic and Political Contribution of migrant 79
• communities to Nepal 79
• D. Conclusion and further discussion 85
• 5. Conclusion 88
• A. Summary of Findings 88
• B. Recommendations 91
• C. Further Research 91
• Bibliography 93
• 초록 99
• Appendices: 102
• Acknowledgment 107