Migrant Care Worker Policy in South Korea: Agenda-Setting, Non-Decision-Making, and Type III Error

Key Points

• The research critically examines the policy processes surrounding the migrant care worker pilot project in South Korea.
• Analyzed government and legislative documents, media reports, and meeting transcripts to trace policy agenda formation.
• Applied theories of agenda-setting, non-decision-making, and Type III error to evaluate the decisions made.
• Highlighted the framing and exclusion of alternatives in the policy process.
• Identified that economic efficiency dominated decision-making, sidelining the value of care labor and workers' rights.
• Found that defining the low birth rate issue narrowly led to Type III errors, risking long-term negative consequences.
• Highlighted that discussions surrounding wage and labor protections for migrant workers tend to prioritize cost-saving over human rights.