[COVER STORY] Migrant communities push back against Lee's 'reverse discrimination' framing

People from multicultural families and migrant rights advocates are vehemently protesting President Lee Jae Myung's recent assertion that specific support policies could constitute "reverse discrimination." They caution that his comments have the potential to exacerbate social rifts and perpetuate bias. While recognizing that Lee may have been aiming to ensure equity in welfare benefits and resolve rural labor shortages, they argue that his phrasing risks depicting migrants as unworthy recipients of aid.

In an interview with The Korea Times, they implored the president to display more caution, emphasizing that his words hold significant sway in molding public perceptions of migrant communities. During a Cabinet meeting on October 27th, Lee contended that "inviting foreign workers does not significantly benefit the national economy," asserting that they "send all their wages back to their home countries."

In subsequent online posts, he questioned whether government policies should transcend mere protection against disadvantages faced by multicultural families to grant them preferential treatment, citing priority access to social services.