Koryo-saram in Their Ancestral Homeland Self-Perception and Complexities of Relations with South Korean Society
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Abstract
The Koryo-saram associations in post-Soviet countries declared the revival of national traditions, customs, culture and language as a key objective in preserving Korean identity among their members.
On the other hand, South Korean citizens, inspired by their country’s “success story”, readily embraced the role of cultural “authorities”. According to the researcher Valeriy Khan (2001), South Korean businessmen, professors and pastors believe that Koryo-saram should follow the patterns of behavior and consciousness of South Koreans. However, this raises an important question: who has the authority to define what is being “Korean” and what is not? And what is “Korean culture” itself?
At the same time, integration into the globalized world has influenced South Korea’s social structure. In an effort to “embrace” ethnic Koreans – whether to address demographic decline or for other reasons – the South Korean government implements various programs that appeal to Korean identity values. Additionally, ROK laws regarding overseas ethnic Koreans grant certain advantages to Koryo-saram.
Many ethnic Koreans arrive to the homeland of their ancestors primarily in search of a better life. Interestingly, Koryo-saram associations also emerged in South Korea. If preserving their “Korean-ness” within the ROK is not the point, then what does motivate the newcomers to unite?
In order to address the questions raised above and examine the current state of relations between the Koryo-saram and their “ancestral home”, this paper analyzes relevant South Korean official discourses on “overseas Koreans”, explores testimonies on the acceptance of Koryo-saram by South Korean society, and revises evidence from Koryo-saram regarding how they perceive their position within South Korean society.
How to Cite
Ryzhkov, A., & Lopez Rocha, N. (2025). Koryo-saram in Their Ancestral Homeland Self-Perception and Complexities of Relations with South Korean Society. The World of the Orient, (2 (127), 148-163. https://doi.org/10.15407/orientw2025.02.148
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Keywords
migrant minority; Koryo-saram; identity; globalization; “Korean-ness”; ancestral home; social dynamics; “othering”; integration
References
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Lee S.-G. and Kim G. (2013), “CISjiyeok haninmunhage natanan chabyeorui seosa”, Education of Korean Language and Literature, Vol. 29, pp. 425–450, available at: https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART001822186 (accessed May 8, 2025). (In Korean).
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López Rocha N. and Ryzhkov A. (2020), “La Mujer Migrante en la Sociedad Coreana: Revalorización del trabajo invisible femenino”, Revista Inclusiones, No. 7, pp. 394–418, available at: http://revistainclusiones.org/index.php/inclu/article/view/1481 (accessed May 8, 2025).
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Song Ch. (2019), “Joseonjok and Goryeo Saram Ethnic Return Migrants in South Korea: Hierarchy Among Co-ethnics and Ethnonational Identity”, in Tsuda T. and Song C. (eds), Diasporic Returns to the Ethnic Homeland, Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, pp. 57–77. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90763-5_4
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“Assotsiatsiya Koryo-saram v Respublike Koreya” (2021), in Nasha missiya, available at: https://koryosaram.org/?page_id=62 (accessed May 8, 2025). (In Russian).
“Central Asian Bureau for Analytical Reporting” (2020), in ‘Koryo-Saram’: Life of Korean Community in Tajikistan, January 23, available at: https://cabar.asia/en/koryo-saram-life-of-korean-community-in-tajikistan (accessed May 8, 2025).
Chung E. Y. J. (2015), “Modern Korean Women and Confucian Values: Change and Assimilation”, in CEFIA, The Academy of Korean Studies, Seongnam, available at: http://cefia.aks.ac.kr:84/index.php?title=Korean_Confucianism_-_8._Modern_Korean_Women_and_Confucian_Values:_Change_and_Assimilation (accessed May 8, 2025).
Fumagalli M. (2012), “South Korea’s Engagement in Central Asia from the End of the Cold War to the ‘New Asia Initiative’ ”, The Journal of Northeast Asian History, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 69–97, available at: https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10023/12726/Fumagalli_2012_JNAH_SouthKoreaColdWar_VoR.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (accessed May 8, 2025).
García C. N. (2002), Culturas Populares en el Capitalismo, Grijalbo, Ciudad de México.
Jo M. (2018), “Koryo Saram in South Korea: ‘Korean’ but Struggling to Fit in”, in Korea Exposé, May 30, available at: https://www.koreaexpose.com/koryo-saram-from-central-asia-and-russia-struggle-in-south-korea/ (accessed May 8, 2025).
Johnson Ch. (1989), “The Democratization of South Korea: What Role Does Economic Development Play?”, The Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 4, pp. 63–79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22439/cjas.v4i1.1766
Joo J. (2011), “Transnationalization of Korean Popular Culture and the Rise of ‘Pop Nationalism’ in Korea”, The Journal of Popular Culture, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 489–504. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5931.2011.00845.x
Kang J. (2009), “Talbugijumin munhwaui sijeok suyong – talbugijumin siui gaenyeomgwa teukjireul jungsimeuro”, Foreign Literature Studies, No. 35, pp. 9–28, available at: https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART001371192 (accessed May 8, 2025). (In Korean).
KBS World (2019), “Empeora la tasa de natalidad en Corea del Sur”, KBS World Spanish, 28 February, available at: http://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=s&Seq_Code=65140#none (accessed May 8, 2025).
Khan V. (2001), “Kakiye traditsii my vozrozhdayem v poiskakh svoyey identifikatsii”, in V. S. Khan (ed.), Desyat’ let spustya: (K 10-y godovshchine Assotsiatsii koreyskikh kul’turnykh tsentrov Respubliki Uzbekistan), Assotsiatsiya koreyskikh kul’turnykh tsentrov Respubliki Uzbekistan, Tashkent and Seoul, pp. 49–56. (In Russian).
Khan V. S. (2018), “Globalization of Ethnicity: from Nations to Meta-Nations”, in Proceedings of the 5th World Humanities Forum. The Human Image in a Changing World, National Research Foundation of Korea, Seoul, pp. 579–587, available at: https://www.unesco.or.kr/assets/data/report/rx9TZZk0BfnxJerUqlZk3CBDCl8DdS_1549607868_2.pdf (accessed May 8, 2025).
KIM Magazine (2019a), “Vsekh koreytsev priznali koreytsami”, August 23, available at: https://koryo-saram.site/vseh-korejczev-priznali-korejczami/ (accessed May 8, 2025). (In Russian).
KIM Magazine (2019b), “Zarubezhnyye etnicheskiye koreytsy polyubili vizu F-4”, September 26, available at: https://zhurnalkim.com/zarubezhnye-etnicheskie-korejczy-polyub/ (accessed October 9, 2024). (In Russian).
Kim-Pacher S. (2016), “Sud’by kore-saram v Koreye”, KOREUSARAM, February 2, available at: https://koreusaram.wordpress.com/2016/02/02/korea/ (accessed May 8, 2025). (In Russian).
Kim S. (2018), “Pavel Em, ob aktual’nom polozhenii etnicheskikh koreytsev v Koreye i protsessakh globalizatsii, kandidat geograficheskikh nauk, Niderlandy, Amsterdam”, in KOREUSARAM, December 25, available at: https://koreusaram.wordpress.com/2018/12/25/pavel_em/ (accessed May 8, 2025). (In Russian).
Kim Y. (2020), “South Korea’s farm population halves in 20 years”, The Korea Herald, January 19, available at: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200116000236 (accessed May 8, 2025).
Kogay E. (2020), “Interv’yu s koreinom Dmitriyem Li”, in Koryo saram, July 8, available at: https://koryo-saram.ru/intervyu-s-koreinom-dmitriem-li/ (accessed May 8, 2025). (In Russian).
Koryo saram (2018), “Koryo saram v Koreye”, October 18, available at: https://koryo-saram.ru/koryo-saram-v-koree/ (accessed May 8, 2025). (In Russian).
Lee E. (2013), “Dosi gyeolhonijuyeoseongui eomeoni noreutgwa jeongcheseong: janyeogyoyuk gyeongheomeul jungsimeuro”, Journal of Korean Women’s Studies, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 115–146, available at: https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART001805544 (accessed May 8, 2025). (In Korean).
Lee J. (2018), “Koryoin, Living Precariously in Korea”, The Korea Herald, March 19, available at: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180319000842 (accessed May 8, 2025).
Lee K. (2000), Overseas Koreans, Jimoondang, Seoul.
Lee S.-G. and Kim G. (2013), “CISjiyeok haninmunhage natanan chabyeorui seosa”, Education of Korean Language and Literature, Vol. 29, pp. 425–450, available at: https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART001822186 (accessed May 8, 2025). (In Korean).
López Rocha N. and Ryzhkov A. (2017), “Hallyu as a Vehicle for Internationalizing the Korean Culture: Official Discourse and Its Repercussions”, Journal of Korean Culture, Vol. 36, pp. 131–159, available at: https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART002203018 (accessed May 8, 2025).
López Rocha N. and Ryzhkov A. (2020), “La Mujer Migrante en la Sociedad Coreana: Revalorización del trabajo invisible femenino”, Revista Inclusiones, No. 7, pp. 394–418, available at: http://revistainclusiones.org/index.php/inclu/article/view/1481 (accessed May 8, 2025).
Migration Research and Training Centre (2019), Legislation on Migration, Residence, and Citizenship: Ethnic Koreans (Koryo-in) in the Former Soviet Union, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and South Korea, Jeewon Min and Jewoo Lee (eds), MRTC Working Paper Series, Goyang-si, available at: https://www.mrtc.re.kr/lib/download.php?file_name=_C9IHY~B.PDF&save_file=b_202004020945370.PDF (accessed May 8, 2025).
Oh J., Kim G. and Song S. (2016), Gungnaegeoju reosia-CIS (goryeoin) hyeonhwang josa II, KyungSung Media Group, Seoul, available at: https://www.mrtc.re.kr/lib/download.php?file_name=(05)%20Research-funded%20project_(Korean%20version).pdf&save_file=b_201709272140560.pdf (accessed May 8, 2025). (In Korean).
Ryzhkov A. (2020), “Traducción pericial coreano-español-coreano: dinámicas migratorias entre México y la República de Corea”, in Nayelli López Rocha (ed.), Península Coreana: estrategias, reestructuración e inserción en el mundo global, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, pp. 173–196.
Saxer C. J. (2019), Globalization as Policy: The South Korean Experience, available at: http://www.ikorea.ac.kr/congress/upload/정치1-3CarlJ.Saxer.pdf (accessed May 8, 2025).
Sim J. E. (2019), “Film Hanaan (2011): Korea and Uzbekistan Seen from a Margin”, Journal of Eurasian Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 98–105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1879366518820622
Song Ch. (2019), “Joseonjok and Goryeo Saram Ethnic Return Migrants in South Korea: Hierarchy Among Co-ethnics and Ethnonational Identity”, in Tsuda T. and Song C. (eds), Diasporic Returns to the Ethnic Homeland, Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, pp. 57–77. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90763-5_4
WEproject (2019), “Koreytsy iz SNG o pereyezde v Yuzhnuyu Koreyu: l’goty, kul’tura i slozhnosti”, March 18, available at: https://weproject.media/articles/detail/koreytsy-iz-sng-o-pereezde-v-yuzhnuyu-koreyu-lgoty-kultura-i-slozhnosti/ (accessed May 8, 2025). (In Russian).
Williams R. (1989), “Culture is Ordinary”, in Resources of Hope: Culture, Democracy, Socialism, Verso, London, available at: http://artsites.ucsc.edu/faculty/gustafson/FILM%20162.W10/readings/Williams.Ordinary.pdf (accessed May 8, 2025).
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