JOY ELLEN YOON — Korean Diaspora

Koreans are commonplace around the globe. In most major cities, you will find a Korean community, and with Koreans come Asian markets, Korean BBQ restaurants, K-pop music, K-dramas, and businesses of various kinds. Koreans are known around the world for their advances in technology, especially through Samsung and Hyundai.

Although this is what we know of modern-day Koreans, Koreans have actually been spreading across the world since the 1800’s. Korea has been primarily a mono-ethnic culture for over 5,000 years, but during the Joseon (Choson) Dynasty as Korea became threatened by foreign powers, they started emigrating to border countries of China and Russia. In fact, Koreans have resided along the border areas of China and Russia for centuries as the Korean borders shifted back and forth throughout history. For example, during the Gogoryeo Dynasty from 37 BC to 668 AD, Korean territory extended much further north into both China and Russia.

As foreign powers pressed in upon the Korean Peninsula, with the onset of the Russo Japanese War and then the Japanese Occupation of Korea in 1910, Koreans began spreading throughout the rest of Asia. Many freedom fighters revolting against the Japanese Occupation sought refuge in either China (Manchuria) or Russia. Other Koreans were brought to Japan following Korea’s annexation. Still others sought refuge and a better life further away as they spread to far away places such as Mexico and Cuba.

Emigration from the Joseon Dynasty to Russia reached its peak in the early 1900’s. In the terms of the Russo-Korean treaty of 1884, all Koreans emigrating to Russia were granted citizenship within the Russian Empire. But as Russia was forced to concede to Japan during the Russo-Japanese War, anti-Asian sentiment in Russia rose high. Koreans found themselves the victims of “frontier cleansing” as Stalin forced at least 175,000 Koreans to relocate to the Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Korean Deportation from Russia to Central Asia

At the conclusion of World War II when Korea won its independence from Japan on August 15, 1945, Korea was split between the North and the South. Soviets (Russia) occupied the northern part of the peninsula while the U.S. occupied the south. In 1948, North and South Korea were officially established and a door opened up to the rest of the world as both North and South Korea started to establish their own respective international relations.

Unfortunately, Koreans taken to Japan during the occupation were refused Japanese citizenship. Despite having permanent resident status, they were forced to choose citizenship between the North and the South. Initially, more Koreans chose North Korean citizenship, but as South Korea’s economy grew, later more South Koreans emigrated to Japan. Those who chose North Korean citizenship received support from the North Korean government for schools and community infrastructure, and Japanese Koreans were given the privilege to travel to North Korea and further their studies and profession within the country.

Koreans also began emigrating to the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, and even countries in South America such as Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Migrant workers fled to the Arab world, particularly to work for construction enterprises. Among the Arab nations, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia currently host the largest Korean populations. Both South and North Koreans can be found throughout the Middle East.

Korean diaspora have now been living abroad for the third and fourth generations. As a result, ethnic Koreans use widely accepted names for Korean diaspora depending upon what countries they come from. Korean Japanese are referred to as Zainichi. Those living in Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan are referred to at Koryo-saram with their name coming from the ancient word for Korea and person. Chinese-Koreans are called Chosonjok, referring to Korea’s last Choson (Joseon) Dynasty.

The next time you drive by an Asian Market or eat at a Korean BBQ restaurant you can appreciate the larger history of Korean diaspora. Although modern-day South Korean culture has primarily drawn fame from pop culture, Korean diaspora have participated in the histories of many nations over the past several centuries.