As Korea’s population becomes more multicultural, naturalized Koreans and foreign nationals are branching out into all areas of society.

Since 2002, the number of foreign nationals staying in Korea on a long-term basis has nearly doubled from 630,000 to come in at over 1.45 million at the end of 2012.

Along with the number of foreigners choosing to stay in Korea long term, the number of those choosing to become naturalized citizens has also increased dramatically.

In 2002, about 2,980 foreigners obtained Korean nationality, and the number rose to over 16,000 by 2011.

In addition to such quantitative changes, the roles played by foreigners in Korean society have also diversified significantly, with some rising to prominence in the public sector, an area still dominated by Koreans.

One of the most prominent examples of foreigners breaking into new fields and rising to prominence is Korea Tourism Organization chief Lee Charm.

Lee has been a pioneer for the country’s foreign communities in a number of ways.

In 1986, Lee obtained Korean nationality, becoming the 325th naturalized Korean. He also adopted his Korean surname Lee and became the progenitor of a new branch ― Germany Lee ― of the surname.

Since becoming a naturalized Korea, Lee has had a diverse career that ranged from the chief executive of an engineering company and marketing advisor to Kia Motors Corp. to a soap star.

In 2009, he set another precedent when he was picked to head the Korea Tourism Organization, becoming the first person of non-Korean descent to head a state-run organization.

Last year, he was joined by another Lee of foreign origin in setting new precedents for the country’s expat community.

In last year’s general elections, Jasmine Lee ― a naturalized Korean originating from the Philippines ― was made a proportional representative of the ruling Saenuri Party and became the first naturalized Korean lawmaker. 

Foreigners who have risen to prominence in unlikely fields also include Buddhist monks Hyongak and Chunggo. They are from the U.S., but have become well-known figures in Korean Buddhism and have been active in spreading its teachings.

The increasing numbers and diversification of roles played by foreign nationals in the country can also be seen in show business.

Although there have been television personalities of foreign origin for some time, their roles had mostly been based on their ethnicity, with shows such as “A Chat with Beauties” focusing mostly on their views as foreigners living in Korea.

But non-Korean celebrities of late have used their talent to rise to stardom.

U.S. citizen Brad Moore found fame as the drummer of the Korean indie band Busker Busker, while Sam Hammington of Australia shot to fame telling jokes in Korean.

The expanding role of foreigners and naturalized Koreans is not limited to the more visible parts of society.

Along with the rise in the number of long-term foreign residents, the number of crimes committed by them has also risen in recent years. In answer to such developments, a number of neighborhood watch groups consisting of foreign nationals have been formed across the country in cities with high concentrations of foreign residents.

While such groups are organized on the nongovernmental level, some provincial administrations such as Gwangsan-gu of Gwangju have rolled out measures that involve naturalized Koreans in helping foreigners settle in Korea.

On April 8, the Gwangsan-gu administration appointed 10 residents from seven countries including China, Vietnam and the Philippines as honorary chiefs of “dong” within its boundaries as part of the efforts to promote a multicultural society in which the cultural heritages of immigrants are kept alive. A dong is a subdivision of an administrative region, originating from the Joseon period.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)