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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Raphael Rashid in Seoul

Integration classes and complaints offices: South Korea charts a path to a cohesive multicultural future

Busy street and numerous commercial signs in Seoul, South Korea in May 2025.
South Korea is trying to promote social cohesion and cultural unity as its immigrant community grows. Photograph: Xavier Duvot/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images

Russian words echo through the corridors of Gonjiam middle school as a woman from Uzbekistan addresses a classroom of teenagers still grappling with the Korean language.

“How do you speak with Korean friends?” she asks. The responses are halting. Some use translation apps. Others rely on classmates who speak better Korean to navigate school life.

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