Long Distance Fatherhood: Filipino & Vietnamese Guest-Worker Fathers in South Korea

There are two kinds of separated families, living apart for the sake of work or education. Guest-worker fathers from Asian countries, including China, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh, are working in Korea without their families. Additionally, “wild goose” fathers or kirogi appa are also working in Korea to finance their wives’ and children’s stay and education in overseas countries, including United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, and others. For these families, both types of separation represent life-changing decisions and commitments that can have positive as well as negative aspects. In this paper, we will explain the relations between father and children, Korean citizens’ attitudes towards them, and Korea’s government’s policy responses of the Korean government.