The goal of this study is to analyze diasporic aspects of North Korean migrants in Kamchatka, in comparison with those of Korean diaspora in Sakhalin. In particular, using narratives of ethnic Koreans obtained in two field surveys in Elizovo in Kamchatka, Russia and Jeonggwan in Busan, South Korea, this study tries to compare transnational practices of those Korean diaspora both in Sakhalin and Kamchatka, Russia. In this paper four transnational practices including alienation from the host countries, differences in kin-states, desire for an eventual return to the homeland, and Confucian ethics were analyzed and compared between those Korean immigrants in both residential areas. According to the results of the study, the closure of the political system in North Korea and the kin-state of Koreans living in the Kamchatka Peninsula caused the North Korean diaspora to confuse their feelings about their home country, but those could not weaken transnationalism among them. It may be due to the fact that South and North Korea, homelands for two Korean diaspora in Sakhalin and Kamchatka, are different in their political or economic system or structure but identical in their cultural and spiritual roots. Russian discrimination against the Korean diaspora in Sakhalin Island and the Kamchatka Peninsula as well as subsequent alienation felt by these Koreans have played an important role in strengthening their ethnic identity. In addition, Koreans living in Sakhalin and Kamchatka still have a strong desire to return to their home countries regardless of where they live. Finally, this study shows that traditional Confucian Korean customs, such as funerals, rituals, and sixtieth birthdays, lead those ethnic Koreans in the Russian Far East to strengthen their connection with their homeland. All in all, this study illustrates that transnational practices of ethnic Koreans exert a similar influence on the reconstruction of diasporic identities, even though there are differences in their kin-states.
카카오톡
페이스북
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