Paper abstract:

The Korean community of Kazakhstan formed as a result of the initial migration from the Korean peninsula to the Russian Far East at the end of the 19th century and further forced relocation to Central Asia ordered by Stalin in 1937. Initially labeled as a “yellow peril” and “fifth column”, Koreans managed to improve their status and obtain some internal mobility after Stalin’s death. Due to the lack of state-sponsored repatriating programs, the out-migration of Koreans from Central Asia was insignificant after the collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s.

However, the situation has changed in the recent decades. Although South Korea still does not have any repatriation policies regarding its post-Soviet co-ethnics, it does grant work visas to Central Asian Koreans. Given the deteriorating economic conditions in the latter states, many choose to use this opportunity to improve their economic situation. Thus, over 11,000 Koreans from Kazakhstan reside and work in South Korea today.

Through in-depth interviews during summer 2021 of fieldwork in fulfillment of my master’s degree, I found that Koreans from Kazakhstan migrating to South Korea might consider themselves to be part of a global Korean diaspora and view South Korea as a ‘homeland’. However, on arrival, they face various forms of social and economic exclusion, and instead find more commonality with other post-Soviet migrants in South Korea, regardless of ethnicity.

Sixteen participants to this research revealed that most of the migrants engage in 3D (dangerous, difficult, and dirty) jobs. These low-skilled labor migrants live and work at factories with little to no socialization due to long working hours and language limitations. Additionally, post-Soviet immigrants lacking state-sponsored support seek refuge in so called “Russian” neighborhoods. Ultimately, I contend that restricted opportunities to integrate encourage circular migration among Central Asian migrants and position them as problematic community who find it difficult to comply with South Korean law.