Future Directions of South Korea’s Multicultural Education: Recommendations Based on International Comparative Analysis with Canada’s Individual Education Plan (IEP)

South Korea is undergoing a rapid transition into a multicultural society and it is only steps away from becoming the first country in Asia to be officially categorized as a multicultural nation. Therefore, this study aims to address the issues with South Korea’s multicultural education policy, and proposes recommendations for future improvements by conducting an international comparative analysis with Canada’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). IEP is a policy designed to address student’s various educational needs that cannot be fully met through general education alone. By assessing each student’s strengths and providing tailored educational programs and services, IEP ultimately allows maximum growth of individual’s potential and holistic development. This study presents three key recommendations for Korea’s multicultural education policy based on the analysis of IEP. First, the multicultural education policy should be expanded beyond students of non-Korean nationalities and ethnicities to include all students, and should attempt to promote multicultural awareness and inclusiveness at the societal level. Second, support programs should not only focus on academic achievements but consider the significance of social-emotional experiences in order to foster healthy identity development, peer-relationships, and the holistic wellbeing of the students. Third, principals and educational leaders should be encouraged to develop and practice culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) that can create a school culture of inclusion and diversity, and implement a collaborative relationship between students, teachers, parents, and the community. This study ultimately argues for a redefinition of multicultural education—from a compensatory approach targeting specific groups to a form of global citizenship education for all students—laying the groundwork for a transformative shift in educational policy that can create an inclusive and equitable multicultural society in South Korea.