Balanced regional development in South Korea through immigration, linked with development assistance

Abstract

This study discusses enhancing regional medical capacity in South Korea through immigration from developing countries for balanced regional development. This study empirically examines the determinants of international migration flows to Sout focused on bilateral aid. Using a panel dataset covering 144 countries from 2000-2020, this study finds that: (1) The migration flow into South Korea corresponds to both the mobility transition theory and the gravity model; (2) Bilateral aid is a significant determinant of bilateral migration flows into South Korea, together with political, economic, and social factors; (3) South Korea should consider Priority Partner Countries and underrepresented countries to strategically diversify migration; (4) The Minnesota Project gives lessons to South Korea in overcoming aid fragmentation, and adopting flexible immigration laws to accommodate high-skilled medical labour migration for regional development.