The purpose of this paper is to consider the implications of multicultural education in Europe and
North America for Korea, in light of the fact that multicultural education in Korea has recently
become an important social and educational issue with the changes in Korea’s position in the
national and global context. In Western country, the goal of multicultural education is to affirm
democratic principles to recognize and accept the diversity of people and life. It is guided by the
principles of openness, equal opportunity and justice, and social unity. In Europe and North America,
As such multicultural education is an intimate part of the civic education programs in school.
Multicultural education is not about paternalistic sympathy for minorities or simply learning about
other cultures; it is about advancing the capacity for critical thinking and reflection through such
critical reflection; it is an educational approach based on the principle of mutual equality. In
particular, multicultural education in Western country focuses on building ‘perceptive infrastructure’
for differences and co-existence, not on learning diverse culture and knowledge as a simple content
at school.