Ethnocultural characteristics of Korean Diaspora in China

This article is about ethnocultural characteristics of Korean Diaspora in China. It also observes general sociocultural particularities of Korean Diaspora in China. The purpose of the article is to show how Korean Diaspora transformed during the period of adaptation and integration to Chinese society. Nowadays Korean Diaspora in China is one of the largest Korean communities beyond the Korean Peninsula. It is about 2 000 000 people. Koreans in China in contrast to Koreans in other countries could save traditional culture and native language. However they overcome long way from the Diaspora formation to adaptation to Chinese society. The Koreans's resettlement started in 1850-s. The major part of migrants was farmers, who had to emigrate by economic reasons. The main Koreans's residence area was Manchuria. The basic activity types of Koreans were farming, hunting and fishery. After annexation of Korea in 1910 Japanese government went on record that all Koreans in China were Japanese members. Japan used Koreans as an instrument to strengthen its influence in Manchuria. Although quite a number of Koreans escaped to China as political de-scendents and provide antI-Japanese national liberation movement. In 1919 Korean political oppositionists erected Provisional Government of Korea in Shanghai. After the establishment of Manchukuo puppet state all Koreans except for antI-Japanese activists began to live in comfortable conditions. Japanese government allocated enough funds to support Korean settlements, because they planned to move to mainland China in the future by means of Koreans. During civil war period Korean Diaspora advocated Communist party of China, which promulgated loyal policy toward ethnic minorities in China. When the civil war was over, the new Chinese government gave Koreans their own autonomous region and established Yan-bian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in 1952. In Yanbian the Korean University was established, then two Korean publishing houses, television and radio broadcasting company, Korean theater and museum were opened. Ethnic Koreans of China were mainly involved in agricultural sector. But after 1980-1990-s many Chinese Koreans moved from rural areas to cities. Some of them set up small business, usually based on Korean traditional cuisine, but other became laborers. The next stage was connected with establishment of diplomatic relations with South Korea in 1992. After that South Korean investors came to China to establish enterprise and recruited Chinese Koreans. Moreover few ethnic Koreans worked in branches of South Korean companies in China. Therefore the position of Koreans in China is quite advantageous cause on the one hand unlike Korean Diaspora in other countries they have own autonomous region and opportunity to keep native language, traditional culture and education. But on the other hand they are just ethnic minority that is why they should conform to general movement of transforming China. Now the future of Korean Diaspora in China is uncertain. Will they be able to retain ethnic culture or dissolve in Chinese population. Nevertheless Korean Diaspora in China still keeps their ethnicity and differentiates not only from other ethnic groups of China, but Korean Diaspora in other countries.

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