The article investigates an underexplored aspect of migrant entrepreneurship, specifically public attitudes toward policies that support it. Using North Korean migrant entrepreneurs in South Korea as a case study, the research examines how various configurations of government support affect public opinion. The study finds that South Koreans are most amenable to policies that are financially backed by large corporations through corporate taxes or loans to individuals rather than by the state. Support is also higher for policies aimed at fostering employment in profitable migrant-run firms or in joint ventures with native South Koreans. Interestingly, policies framed as anti-discrimination measures experience decreased public support. The study reveals that native hostility toward migrant entrepreneurs in South Korea is not primarily driven by ethnicity but by economic considerations and perceptions of national interest. This challenges existing literature which often attributes negative attitudes toward migrants to ethnic differences and institutional barriers, suggesting that economic rationality plays a more decisive role in shaping public opinion.

Denney, Steven, Peter Ward, and Christopher Green. "Public Support for Migrant Entrepreneurship: The Case of North Koreans in the Republic of Korea". International Migration Review (2023).