Non-Economic Motivation for International Migration: A Decennial Investigation of Korean Family Migration to the United States

JiYoung Park, JongSoo Lee and SeongWoo Lee
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JiYoung Park: Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
JongSoo Lee: Department of Economics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
SeongWoo Lee: Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea

No 202601, WORKING PAPERS SERIES IN THEORETICAL AND APPLIED ECONOMICS from University of Kansas, Department of Economics

Abstract: This study explored the impact of non-economic factors on Korean family migration to the U.S. Using 1990 and 2000 micro-level household data, it challenged the neoclassical theory’s assumption that migration maximizes human capital. The findings revealed no significant link between the expected income gap and migration likelihood, suggesting that economic theories alone cannot fully explain Korea-to-U.S. migration. Instead, non-economic factors like network theory and family reunion play a crucial role. While focused on Korean migrants, the study can broaden Asian migration trends to North America and the E.U., emphasizing the need for urban and regional policy related to population and urban growth.

Keywords: International migration, Family migration, non-economic motivation, structural probit model; Heckman selection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-01
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