| Sumario: | Since their introduction in the 1990s to address labor shortages, migrant workers in South Korea (hereafter Korea) have become indispensable yet remain marginalized, facing discrimination and lacking legal protections. Despite efforts such as the Employment Permit System, disparities persist, often exacerbated by sociocultural norms that prioritize ethnic homogeneity and the "pure blood" ideology, leading to systemic discrimination and social exclusion. I consider the artwork of contemporary Korean artists who engage with these realities, notably Mixrice, Yuri An, and the AfroAsia Collective. Each foregrounds a different migrant community as a constitutive element of Korean society, illuminating the complexities of migrant life and the struggle for a cohesive identity in Korea. Mixrice's projects focus on community interaction and integration, often in collaboration with Southeast Asian workers. Yuri An probes the fraught identities of the Joseonjok, Chinese nationals of Korean descent. With a community-based multidisciplinary practice, the AfroAsia Collective captures the lives of African migrant workers, bringing attention to their everyday existence and aspirations. Together, the practices of these artists dismantle inherited stereotypes and expose the contested terrain of belonging in a society negotiating demographic transformation. By examining these artistic approaches, I contend that "Koreanness" must be reimagined through the lens of migration, shifting the nation once heralded as a "land of promise" toward a future where plurality and diversity are recognized as the very grounds of its identity.
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