J Korean Soc Matern Child Health.  2023 Apr;27(2):60-70. 10.21896/jksmch.2023.27.2.60.

Employment Experiences of Female Mongolian Migrant Workers in Korea

• Tungalag S
• Choi EJ
• Cho HM
• Kang S
• Lee M

• KMID: 2542187
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.21896/jksmch.2023.27.2.60

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to understand the employment experiences of female Mongolian migrant workers in Korea and identify their meanings.
Methods
Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews with eight such women using the phenomenological Colaizzi qualitative research approach.
Results
Six categories were drawn from the research: “Facing a dilemma when hitting the wall,” “Foreigners’ lives disrespected,” “Physically filled with wounds,” “Lonely, laborious, and sad,“ “Growing stronger and knowledgeable,” and “Happiness found in the workplace.”
Conclusion
The results of this study revealed the substantial meaning of the employment experience of female Mongolian migrant workers in Korea. The results of the study could provide basic data for offering such women various kinds of programs to support them psychologically and in their adjustment to their jobs. These programs would enhance their ability to adapt to both working and in Korea.

Keyword

Mongolia; Employment; Women; Qualitative research

Reference

Algirmaa ., Kim YS., Park MS. Study on career experience of international marriage migrant women from Mongolia. J Career Educ Res. 2015. 28:101–15. https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART001979231 .

Anthony MJ., Martin EG., Avery AM., Williams JM. Self care and health- seeking behavior of migrant farm workers. J Immigr Minor Health. 2010. 12:634–39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-009-9252-9 .

Baljin NS. The conditions in the workplaces and everyday life of the Mongolian immigrant workers in Korea [master's thesis]. Cheongju (Korea): Graduate School of Chungbuk National Uni versity;2019.

Battogtokh UG. A study on the necessity of the reintegration of returning Mongolian migrant workers in South Korea [master's thesis]. Seoul (Korea): Graduate School of Ewha Womens University;2020.

Colaizzi PF. Psychological research as the phenomenologist views it. In: Valle RS, King M. Existential-phenomenological alternatives for psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press;1978. p. 6.

Guba EG., Lincoln YS. Effective evaluation: improving the usefulness of evaluation results through responsive and naturalistic approaches. San Francisco (CA): Jossey-Boss;1981.

Han IS. Study on experiences of the Korean-Chinese elderly-migrant laborers in republic of Korea [dissertation]. Seoul (Korea): Graduate School of Seoul Christian University;2011.

Hong SW., Shul DH., Suh HJ., Hong CW., Kim MJ., Shul MS. Health status appraisal and systemic surveillance program for migrant workers in Korea. Seoul: Korea Institute of Science and Techno-logy Information;2006.

Jung MH., Lee JS. Current issues on human rights of female immigrant workers in Gwangju metropolitan city and its improvement mea-sures. J Humanit Soc Sci. 2020. 21:1523–38. http://doi.org/10.22143/HSS21.11.5.109 .

Kang YW., Lim CH., Lee HC. North Korean refugees’ life in South Korea: Christian educational approaches. J Christian Educ Korea. 2010. 24:459–90. http://doi.org/10.17968/jcek.2010..24.014 .

Kim KT., Kwak YK., Lee JM., Joo YS., Jeong KS., Kim SH, et al. Deve-lop ment of a new welfare state system for response to social exclusion - A study on migrant workers. Sejong (Korea): Institute for Health and Social Affairs;2020.

Kim YL. An empirical study on the sociocultural adaptation of immi-grated women laborers in Korea. J Asian Women. 2007. 46:43–95. https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART001071520 .

Kuzel AJ. Sampling in qualitive inquiry. Crabtree BF, Miller WL, editors. Doing qualitative research. Newbury Park (CA): Sage;1992. p. 31–44.

Lee CH., Kim HJ. Can immigration help alleviate labor market effects of demographic Changes? Analysing industrial distribution of immigrant workers. Quarterly J Labor Policy. 2020. 20:1–31. https://doi.org/10.22914/jlp.2020.20.2.001 .

Lee E., Lee JM. Quality of life and health service utilization of the migrant workers in Korea. J Korea Acad-Ind Coop Soc. 2014. 15:4370–79. https://doi.org/10.5762/kais.2014.15.7.4370 .

Li Haiying. Study on middle-aged Joseonjok (Korean-Chinese) women migrant's illness experience. J Korean Womens Stud. 2014. 30:213–52. https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART001860347 .

Ministry of Employment and Labor. Ministry of employment and labor business report. Sejong (Korea): Ministry of Employment and Labor;2020.

Ministry of Justice Korea Immigration Service. Immigrant status and employment survey results [Internet]. Gwacheon (Seoul): Ministry of Justice;2021. [cited 2022 Feb 16]. Available from: https://www.immigration.go.kr/ .

National Statistics Office of Mongolia. Mongolian statistical yearbook [Internet]. Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia): National Statistics Office of Mongolia;2020. [cited 2021 Aug 10]. Available from: http://www.nso.mn/index.php/ .

Park SM., Jung KS., Kim HS., Park G. A study on public awareness and acceptance of discrimination. Seoul (Korea): Korean Women's Development Institute;2004.

Ro JH., Kang SK. A study on the immigrant workers' lives who ex-perienced the industrial accident in Korea: grounded theory approach. Soc Welf Policy. 2016. 43:135–64. http://doi.org/10.15855/swp.2016.43.1.135 .

Shin SJ., Lee WJ. The influence of job environment on health problems and the mediator's effect of the health service satisfaction among. Mongolian labor in Korea. Korean Soc Secur Stud. 2012. 28:179–212. https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART001690243 .

Yu SH. Factors affecting the life satisfaction as psychological adaptation of foreign workers in South Korea: stress coping, cultural learning, and social cognition approaches. J Multicult Soc Stud. 2020. 13:151–84. http://doi.org/10.14431/jms.2020.02.13.1.151 .

Yun SJ., Won JY. The ‘multicultural’ experiences of Mongolian marriage migrants in South Korea. East West Stud. 2016. 28:5–34. https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART002173184 .