August 2, 2007 · Posted in: In the News
Koreans want to be friendly neighbors, not ‘invaders’
THE majority of Koreans in the country may be temporary visitors, but the 100,000 or so Korean residents in the country would like to be seen as friends.
“Koreans are trying to put down roots. Please don’t take them for invaders. They are friends of this country, contributors to this country,” said South Korean consul general Hong Sungmog during a media conference last week.
A recent crackdown by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on illegal traders, including Koreans, led to cases of extortion and harassment. Hong said that many Koreans were visited by BI agents late at night, or at the temple during services and asked to show their visas. Some agents were carrying firearms.
Hong said this prompted him to suspend the visa application of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) bound for Korea for a few days. However, he said that he did this to convey a “serious sentiment” to the government, and that it was not a form of retaliation, contrary to initial speculation by BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan.
Hong also apologized for bypassing the Department of Foreign Affairs when the embassy ceased issuing visas without utilizing diplomatic channels.
After a dialogue with Libanan, the Korean embassy resumed processing visa applications.
Hong said that as a result of the dialogue, there would be a hotline set up between the BI and the embassy so that Koreans would be able to determine whether or not those who claimed to be BI agents were really implementing BI procedures.
Libanan had admitted that some BI agents were involved in extortion against Koreans, and had asked the embassy’s help to stop the extortionists.
Korean businessmen, tourists and residents contributed an estimated P171 billion to the Philippines last year in foreign direct investment, and tourist and residence expenses, in addition to indirect investments and other employment opportunities, according to Jae J. Jang, president of the Korean Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines.
Jang said that conflicts that have cropped up between Filipinos and Koreans in villages, golf courses and other places may be due to Koreans’ “very aggressive” nature.
Young Baek Lee, president of the United Korean Community Association (UKCA) in the Philippines, also blamed cultural differences for causing misunderstanding between Koreans and Filipinos. In order to foster closer ties, he said that the UKCA would take care of OFWs in Korea.
Good relations boils down to public relations and packaging, said Philippine KOICA (Korean International Cooperation Agency) Fellows Association president Bernardo Calibo. He said that Koreans have not had a problem assimilating in Cebu. News reports however, have aired complaints from local tour operators, who say they do not earn anything from Korean tourists because these are met and serviced by Korean tour guides.
“Without these people, Filipinos will not get more money from Koreans,” said Hong, adding that Korean tour guides help their compatriots “open up.”
Hong believes that the Philippines should get “most favored nation treatment” from Korea, which should enable the highest quota for Filipino workers and make the Philippines the greatest beneficiary of overseas development assistance (ODA) from Korea.
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