Resident Foreigners in South Korea and Japan: A Comparative Policy Analysis

Although South Korea and Japan tend to maintain their identity as nonimmigration countries, a policy agenda for foreign residents has incrementally emerged, especially since the 1990s. In this comparative analysis, I examine the status of permanent and long-term residents and relevant policy changes that enhance their social and political rights regardless of naturalization. Permanent residents in Japan can access social welfare benefits such as the national pension, public assistance, and child allowances, but they are excluded from local suffrage. In contrast, permanent residents of South Korea have political rights in local elections while welfare coverage for them is restricted to public insurance, with no public aid entitlement. This difference represents a policy gap, caused by inconsistencies in the process of policy revisions and different priorities in policymaking.