International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)

No.4, 2021

 

The spread of Korean diasporas; from people to social network to platform

(Abstract)

 

In-Jin Yoon

 

This article uses diaspora as a concept to encompass multifarious facets of historical experiences of Korean people’s immigration to and settlement in foreign countries and to expound their correlations. Overseas Korean societies are currently undergoing a transition defined as the “end of a growth model”. Concepts which were considered significant in the growing period of ethnic Korean societies, i.e. adaptation, settlement, and ethnic identity, seem less important. As the inflow of new immigrants is halted and second- and third-generations of Korean immigrants are gradually integrated into mainstream society, issues in the countries they reside such as those pertaining to intermarriage, multi-cultural families, multi-racial identity, and main streaming have become more important. Overseas Korean societies whose populations stop growing and whose members have entered into mainstream society evolve in a completely different direction. Their mainstreaming will weaken Korean ethnic identity and the networks with the home country, while transnationalism will strengthen ethnic ties and solidarity.