The Institute of Cross-Cultural Studies (ICCS) at Seoul National University, in collaboration with the BK21 Education and Research Group in Anthropology, is pleased to host the third colloquium of the 2025 Spring Semester.
We invite you to a talk by Hyunhee Kim from the Law Research Institute at Yonsei University, titled:
“Contesting Migrant ‘Illegality’: Korean Farmers' Critiques of Crackdowns on Undocumented Migrant Workers.”
This event will be held offline at Room 512, SNU Asia Center (Bldg. 101). We welcome all those interested in migration, legality, and social justice to join us.
Event Details
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Date & Time: Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
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Venue: Medium Seminar Room, Room 512, Asia Center, Bldg. 101, Seoul National University
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Speaker: Hyunhee Kim (Law Research Institute, Yonsei University)
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Language: Korean
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Light refreshments will be served.
Talk Abstract
The debate over migrant “illegality” reveals how legal language intersects—and often clashes—with lived interests, moral judgment, and economic realities. This presentation focuses on the voices of those labeled “illegal” within a binary legal framework and explores how their experiences of precariousness challenge and reshape the meaning of illegality.
In particular, the talk analyzes how Korean farmers—who have become structurally dependent on undocumented migrant labor—responded to the government’s aggressive 2023 crackdown on undocumented workers. It highlights the farmers’ critiques and examines how their perspectives reflect competing notions of legality, morality, and justice on the ground.
Inquiries:
Institute of Cross-Cultural Studies (ICCS), Seoul National University
iccs@snu.ac.kr
Office: Room 521, Bldg. 220, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul