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경기문화재단

Joseonjok: A Korean Aperture to Globalization

2019-04-12 ~ 2019-04-12 / 토론문

이 글은 3.1운동 및 대한민국임시정부 수립 100주년을 기념하여 개최된

「코리안 디아스포라 국제 학술 컨퍼런스」 자료집에서 발췌되었습니다.

Park, Woo (Hansung University)



In the late 1950s, in order to nationalize all means of production, China promised full employment and tenure to the people as compensation. In the post-socialist era, however, the state kept the nationalization of the means of production and tried not to take responsibility for the people’s employment and welfare. Those who were separated from the land and the state-owned enterprises had to seek new opportunities for themselves and their families.

As we all know, in the 1990s, when the reforms deepened in China, the Joseonjok Koreans entered the labor market of liberal economy including S. Korea in earnest. The Chinese government (both central and local) had systematically ensured that the Joseonjok function as foreign workers in the advanced economy in order to develop the local economy (more specifically Yeonbyeon). The remittance economy by Joseonjok has been updating the records of the local banks and local finance. As the globalization continues, the Joseonjok community centering on Yeongil City has visually totally changed.

First, the consumption culture was changed. There is a café culture at the center of the changes. From the mid and late 2000s, cafés with sophisticated Korean elements appeared. Young generation prefer coffee and tarts than beer and pollack (Picture of Café sosodang (笑笑堂), a famous dessert café in Yeongil). Second, the sense of citizenship became more mature. Third, the cityscape has changed very dynamically. Signs in Korean, Chinese, English, Russian and Japanese are very common in Yeongil. Forth, the tradition of Joseonjok is newly reconstructed. Visually, this tradition is well seen through the magazine cover. (See the following picture of Women Yanbian Magazine)

It is no exaggeration to say that a part of the life of the globalized Joseonjok was constituted through the communication with economically and culturally liberalized S. Korea. So, how should we understand the identity of a globalized Joseonjok? I would like to avoid methodological totalitarianism, and to suggest the necessity of methodological individualism as an alternative. If you set up a diversified community as a simple unit, all its diversity will be ignored. The Joseonjok is not a Joseonjok under far-left socialist or Leninist economy. Methodological totalitarianism always analyzes the identity of Joseonjok within the framework of national identity and ethnicity. The identity has a very broad spectrum.

* Discussion Paper for Joseonjok Diaspora and Identity in Globalization era, by Heo, Myung-Cheol, (Prof of Yanbian University), presented in the International Conference on Korean Diaspora: Korean Diaspora and Future, Gyeonggi as a Platform, hosted by Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation (Suweon). April 12, 2019.


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