Draft Korea's Immigration History: Those Who Left Their Motherland

Title	History of Korean Emigration: Away from Home to Land Unknown

1차 원고

Over 7 million Koreans Overseas

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ estimation, 7.18 million Koreans live in 175 countries around the world (2015). Of these, 4.7 million overseas Koreans have Korean citizenship while the other 4.71 million overseas Koreans have acquired foreign citizenship. This amounts to 10% of the population of North and South Koreas. By region, there are 2.58 million Koreans in China, 2.42 million in the US, 600,000 in Japan, 500,000 in the former Soviet Union including Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, and 510,000 in the South Pacific region including Australia and New Zealand. There are also 220,000 Koreans in Canada, 100,000 in Latin America, 630,000 in Europe, 26,000 in the Middle East, and over 10,000 Koreans in Africa.

Koreans Who Left Colonial Home

The history of Korean immigration began in the mid-19th century during the late Joseon dynasty. People from the northern part of the Korean peninsula migrated to Northern Jiandao. When Japan forcibly annexed the Korean Empire in 1910, many nationalists as well as farmers who lost their lands resettled in Chinese Manchuria (Liaoning Province, Jilin, Heilongjiang) and the Russian Far East. These regions served as the cradle of the Korean independence movement for a long time.

Japanese colonial exploitation made life difficult for Koreans. Many were drove into low-wage labour in Japan. From the late 1920s to early 1930s, between 80,000 and 150,000 Koreans moved to Japan every year. In 1935 alone, the number of Korean emigrants exceeded 62,000. From 1938, many Koreans were forcibly drafted to heavy labour duties in Japan. They formed the first generation of Korean Japanese who remained in Japan after World War II.

When Japan established Manchukuo, it encouraged impoverished Korean peasants from the southern part of the peninsula to resettle there to cultivate the land. At the end of World War II in 1945, nearly two million Koreans were living in Manchuria. Most of them returned to their homeland, but many remained and lived in the Korean Autonomous Prefecture.

In 1937, the Stalinist government of the Soviet Union forcibly relocated 170,000 Koreans who had originally settled in Primorsky Krai, to Central Asia. Thousands of Koreans died during the deportation and resettlement due to extreme hunger, diseases, and harsh weather. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Koreans found themselves living in the newly-formed republics of Central Asia that succeeded from the Soviet Union.

• 영문 필자 의견: 이 부분에 대해서는 중앙아시아측과의 협의 중에 있으며, 고려인의 국적이 중앙아시아 공화국으로 변경되었으나 국적 자체를 상실한 것은 아니라 수정하는 것이 어떨까 합니다.

Emigrants to North American Increased

The history of American Koreans who account for 30% of the entire overseas Korean population, began with the arrival of 168 Korean students and merchants. They preceded the wave of Korean indenture labourers who arrived in Hawaii in 1903-5 to work in sugar plantations. Among them were nationalist intellectuals and activists including Jae-pil Seo, Chang-ho Ahn, and Syngman Rhee, who greatly contributed to building the groundwork for modernization of Korea. During the period between the Korean War (1950-1930) and 1965, war orphans and women who married American soldiers emigrated to the United States. In addition, many students, researchers, nurses, and doctors moved to the US.

In 1965, the US immigration law was drastically revised and opened its door to more immigrants. As a result, Korean families began to immigrate to America. Henceforth, the number of Koreans emigrating has increased consistently. Official records suggest that around 1.9 million Koreans immigrated to the United State since the Korean War.

Emigrating Koreans and Immigrating Foreigners

From the late 1980s, foreign nationals began to immigrate to Korea for work. Furthermore, since the mid-1990s, the number of foreign brides applying for Korean residency has rapidly increased. According to the Ministry of Justice's statistics for 2015, the number of foreign nationals residing in Korea was 1,899,519, showing an annual growth rate of 8.6% over the past 5 years. By country, Chinese immigrants account for the highest percentage of 50.3% (955,871 people), followed by the United States 7.3% (138,660). There were 136,758 (7.2%) Vietnamese, 93,348 (4.9%) Thais, 54,977 (2.9%) Filipinos, and 47,909 (2.5 %) Japanese residing in Korea as of 2015.

감수본

History of Korean Emigration: Away from Home to Lands Unknown

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ estimation, 7.2 million Koreans were living in 175 countries around the world as of 2015. Of these, 4.7 million overseas Koreans retain Korean citizenship while the rest have acquired foreign citizenship. This amounts to 10% of the population of North and South Koreas. By region, there are 2.58 million Koreans in China, 2.42 million in the US, 600,000 in Japan, 500,000 in the former Soviet Union including Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, and 510,000 in the South Pacific region including Australia and New Zealand. There are also 220,000 Koreans in Canada, 100,000 in Latin America, 630,000 in Europe, 26,000 in the Middle East, and over 10,000 Koreans living in Africa.

The history of Korean emigration began in the mid-19th century during the late Joseon Dynasty. People from the northern part of the Korean peninsula migrated to Northern Jiandao County in China. When Japan forcibly annexed the Korean Empire in 1910, many nationalists as well as farmers who lost their lands resettled in Chinese Manchuria (Liaoning Province, Jilin, Heilongjiang) and the Russian Far East. These regions served as the cradle of the Korean independence movement for a long time.

Japanese colonial exploitation made life difficult for Koreans. Tens of thousands were driven into low-wage labor in Japan every year in the 1920s and 1930s. From 1938, many Koreans were forcibly drafted to heavy labor duties in Japan. Together they formed the first generation of Korean-Japanese who remained in Japan after World War II.

When Japan established Manchukuo, it encouraged impoverished Korean peasants from the southern part of the peninsula to resettle there to cultivate the land. At the end of World War II in 1945, nearly two million Koreans were living in Manchuria. Most of them returned to their homeland, but many remained and lived in the Korean Autonomous Prefecture.

In 1937, the Stalinist government of the Soviet Union forcibly relocated 170,000 Koreans who had originally settled in Primorsky Krai, to Central Asia. Thousands of Koreans died during the deportation and resettlement due to extreme hunger, diseases and harsh weather. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Koreans found themselves living in the newly-formed republics of Central Asia that succeeded from the Soviet Union.

The history of Korean-Americans, who account for 30% of the entire overseas Korean population, began with the arrival of 168 Korean students and merchants in 1900. They preceded the wave of Korean indenture laborers who arrived in Hawaii in 1903-5 to work on sugar plantations. Among them were nationalist intellectuals and activists including Seo Jae-pil, Ahn Chang-ho and Syngman Rhee, who greatly contributed to building the groundwork for Korea’s modernization.

During the period between the Korean War (1950-1930) and 1965, war orphans and women who married American soldiers emigrated to the United States, along with many students, researchers, nurses, and doctors.

In 1965, the US immigration law was drastically revised and opened the door to more immigrants. As a result, Korean families began to immigrate to America. Henceforth, the number of Koreans emigrating has increased consistently. Official records suggest that around 1.9 million Koreans have immigrated to the United States since the Korean War.