Abstract

This paper traces the evolution of Korean identity in Kazakhstan from the late 1930s into the modern day. Drawing on a combination of primary and secondary sources, including personal testimonies, interviews, ethnographic data, and state policies, it argues that the formation and continuation of Koryo Saram identity is not a static preservation of traditional heritage but a dynamic and ever-evolving convergence of cultural fusion shaped by shifting trends in state policy, historical memory, international political tensions, and generational transmission. Uprooted and subjected to brutal conditions of deportation and resettlement, Korean people were forced to completely reconstruct their identity in the unfamiliar Kazakh steppes. With help from local Kazakh populations, these communities were eventually able to establish themselves as useful to the Soviet enterprise while adapting and evolving their linguistic, culinary, and communal traditions to work within Soviet cultural assimilation policies. Throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s, the second generation of Koryo Saram started to shift further away from their Korean roots, embracing a more Russified identity within Central Asia that reflected a broader historical suppression of collective memory and trauma. Tracing the generational transference of tradition and historical memory, the paper ultimately concludes with a reflection on Koryo Saram identity in the 21st century. With a renewed interest in Korean cultural practices brought on by the K-Wave and a rising trend of ethnic repatriation from Kazakhstan to South Korea, this paper offers an open ended interpretation of the legacy and potential of this ethnic evolution. As scholarship on the Koryo Saram remains relatively limited, this study contributes to the ongoing reconstruction of Korean history, culture, and identity in Central Asia. Moreover, it contributes to a broader understanding of diasporic identity formation in the Soviet and post-Soviet space.