Chinese people in Korea

Chinese people in Korea

Regions with significant populations
North Korea: Sinuiju, Pyongyang, Chongjin[1] South Korea: Seoul, Incheon, Busan
South Korea	780,000 (2013)[2]
North Korea	10,000 (2009)[1]
Languages
Chinese (Shanghainese, Mandarin), Korean
Religion
Chinese folk religion, Taoism, Buddhism, Yiguandao, Christianity[3]

There has been a recognisable community of Chinese people in Korea, also known as Chinese Koreans, since the 1880s. Most early migrants came from Shandong province on the east coast of China; many of them and their descendants have emigrated. However, the reform and opening up of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the normalisation of People's Republic of China – South Korea relations has resulted in a new wave of Chinese migration to South Korea.^[4] In 2009, more than half of the South Korea's 1.1 million foreign residents were PRC citizens; 71% of those are Chosŏnjok, PRC citizens of Korean ethnicity.^[5] There is also a small community of PRC citizens in North Korea.^[6]

Terminology

When writing in English, scholars use a number of different terms to refer to Chinese people in Korea, often derived from Sino-Korean vocabulary. One common one is yeohan hwagyo (Korean) or lühan huaqiao (Mandarin), meaning "Chinese staying in Korea".^[7] The Korean reading is often shortened to hwagyo (also spelled huakyo),^[8] which simply means "overseas Chinese" but in English literature typically refers specifically to the overseas Chinese of Korea. Other authors call them huaqiao, but this term might be used to refer to overseas Chinese in any country, not just Korea, so sometimes a qualifier is added, for example "Korean-Huaqiao".^[9][10] The terms "Chinese Korean" and "Korean Chinese" are also seen.^[9][11] However, this usage may be confused with Koreans in China, who are also referred to by both such names.

Early history

Jizi came to Korea during the Shang dynasty and established Gija Joseon and Wiman of Gojoseon came from Han dynasty China and established Wiman Joseon.

Chinese colonists settled in the Four Commanderies of Han after the Han dynasty conquered Wiman Joseon, especially in Lelang Commandery. At Lelang Han colonies of peasants were settled there.^[12]

Other minority ethnicities from China such as the Xianbei, Khitan, and Jurchen also migrated into the Korean peninsula.

Fleeing from the Mongols, in 1216 the Khitans invaded Goryeo and defeated the Korean armies multiple times, even reaching the gates of the capital and raiding deep into the south, but were defeated by Korean General Kim Chwi-ryeo who pushed them back north to Pyongan,^[13][14] where the remaining Khitans were finished off by allied Mongol-Goryeo forces in 1219.^[15][16] These Khitans are possibly the origin of the Baekjeong.

Xianbei descendants among the Korean population carry surnames such as Mo 모 Chinese: 慕; pinyin: mù; Wade–Giles: mu (shortened from Murong), Seok Sŏk Sek 석 Chinese: 石; pinyin: shí; Wade–Giles: shih (shortened from Wushilan 烏石蘭, Won Wŏn 원 Chinese: 元; pinyin: yuán; Wade–Giles: yüan (the adopted Chinese surname of the Tuoba), Dokgo Chinese: 獨孤; pinyin: Dúgū; Wade–Giles: Tuku (from Dugu).^{[17][18][19][20][21][22][23]}

One of Mencius' descendants moved to Korea and founded the Sinchang Maeng clan. A Chinese descended from a student of Confucius founded the Muncheon Gong clan and Gimpo Gong clan in Korea.

During the Yuan dynasty, one of Confucius' descendants, who was one of the Duke Yansheng Kong Huan's 孔浣 sons, named Kong Shao 孔紹, moved from China to Goryeo era Korea and established a branch of the family there called the Gong clan of Qufu after marrying a Korean woman (Jo Jin-gyeong's 曹晉慶 daughter) during Toghon Temür's rule. This branch of the family received aristocratic rank in Joseon era Korea.^{[24][25][26][27][28][29]} 曲阜孔氏 (朝鲜半岛) 곡부 공씨

Two Japanese families, a Vietnamese family, an Arab family, a Uighur family, four Manchuria originated families, three Mongol families, and 83 Chinese families migrated into Korea during Goryeo.^[30]

Goryeo era Korea accepted Lý Dynasty royals refugees.^[31] The Lý were of Chinese ethnicity.^[32] Fujian province, Jinjiang village was the origin of Lý Thái Tổ 李公蘊, the ancestor of the Lý dynasty ruling family.^{[33][34][35][36]} China, Fujian was the home of Lý Công Uẩn. The ethnic Chinese background of Lý Công Uẩn has been accepted by Vietnamese historian Trần Quốc Vượng.^[37]

Chen Li went to Korea. The Chinese rebel leader Ming Yuzhen's son Ming Sheng went to Korea and founded the Yeonan Myeong clan, Seochok Myeong clan and Namwon Seung clan.

Individual Chinese are recorded on the Korean peninsula as early as the 13th century, with some going on to found Korean clans.^[38] However, there was little recognisable community until July 1882, when the Qing Dynasty sent Admiral Wu Changqing (吳長慶) and 3,000 troops at the request of the Korean government to aid in quelling a rebellion. Accompanying the troops were some 40 Chinese merchants and other civilians.^[4][39] In August that same year, Qing Superintendent for Trade for the Northern Ports Li Hongzhang lifted restrictions on coastal trade and signed the Regulations for Maritime and Overland Trade Between Chinese and Korean Subjects, and two further agreements the following year, which granted Chinese merchants permission to trade in Korea.^[40]

Unlike in other Asian countries, 90% of the early overseas Chinese in Korea came from Shandong, rather than the southern coastal provinces of Guangdong and Fujian.^[41] During the late 19th and early 20th century Shandong was hard hit by famine, drought, and banditry especially in its northwest, and caused many to migrate to other parts of Shandong, China, and Korea.^[42] See Shandong people. Chinese merchants did well in competition with the Japanese due to their superior access to credit.^[43] They were not confined to port cities, and many did business in inland parts of Korea. Generally speaking, Japanese traders were more interested in quick profits, while the Chinese established relationships with customers.^[44] The earliest Chinese school in Korea, the Joseon Hwagyo Primary School, was established in 1902 in Incheon.^[45]

Under Japanese rule

The gate of the Overseas Chinese Primary School in Myeongdong.Seoul

By 1910, when Korea formally came under Japanese rule, the number of Chinese in Korea had risen to 12,000.^[46] Chinese migrants established schools in Seoul in 1910, Busan in 1912, Sinuiju in 1915, Nampho in 1919, and Wonsan in 1923.^[47]

The number of Chinese in Korea would expand to 82,661 by 1942, but contracted sharply to 12,648 by 1945 due to economic hardships faced during World War II.^[48]

Division of Korea

South Korea

The gate of Busan's Chinatown, located in Choryang-dong, Dong-gu

Prior to and during the Korean War, many Chinese residing in the northern half of the Korean peninsula migrated to the southern half.^[48] After the division of Korea, the Chinese population in South Korea would remain stable for some time; however, when Park Chung Hee took power in a coup on May 16, 1961, he began to implement currency reforms and property restrictions which severely harmed the interests of the Chinese community, spurring an exodus.^[41] Incheon once had the largest Chinese population in Korea, but as the pace of emigration increased, the number diminished. It is estimated that only 26,700 of the old Chinese community now remain in South Korea; they largely hold Republic of China nationality.^[4]

However, in recent years, immigration from mainland China has increased; 696,861 persons of PRC nationality have immigrated to South Korea, making them 55.1% of the total 1,139,283 foreign citizens living in South Korea. Among them are 488,100 of Korean descent (70% of PRC citizens in South Korea, and 40% of the total number of foreign citizens), and 208,761 of other ethnicities. Most of these new residents live in Seoul and its surroundings.^[5]

There is a Chinese-language primary school in Myeongdong, as well as a high school in Seodaemun.^[49]

Secondary migration

Due to the South Korean regulations in the 1960s which limited foreign property ownership, many Chinese in South Korea left the country.^[55] During the 1970s, 15,000 are estimated to have moved to the United States, and another 10,000 to Taiwan. Further outmigration occurred during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.^[56] Others went to the PRC after its reform and opening up, to pursue commercial opportunities or simply to return to their ancestral hometowns.^[55] For example, in Rizhao, Shandong alone, there are 8,200 returned overseas Chinese.^[57]

Many Chinese from Korea who migrated to the U.S. have settled in areas with large Korean American communities, such as Los Angeles, and they have tended to integrate into the Korean American rather than Chinese American community.^[56] Yet, some who went to the United States or Taiwan found they could not adapt to life there either due to linguistic and cultural barriers, and ended up returning to South Korea, in a form of circular migration.^[55]

Korea overseas Chinese history

Overseas Chinese are person that born in China, settled in other countries and is working in that country. The origin of the Overseas Chinese in Korea can find in the Im-O Military Revolt in 1882.^[58] At that time, Chinese 吳長慶 came to fetch the Chinese military 4000 people in order to rectify the Im-O Military Revolt in Korea, and the settlement of Overseas Chinese began from the Qing Dynasty merchants that came along to procure munitions.^[58] As Qing Dynasty 租界地 was set to near Incheon Jemulpo Port in 1884, in earnest, the Overseas Chinese came to Korea and was nationally spread.^[59] But, overseas Chinese society is atrophied because of Various institutional limits and discrimination of our government.^[59][60] Since then, Korea conducted favorable policy for foreign In 1998, overseas Chinese has become increasingly stable as 22,917 people In 2001.^[61] And The rise of China and the 21st century global era, especially, Since the 1997 IMF crisis, as importance of foreign capital was emphasized, Overseas Chinese in Korea has arranged the foundation of a new leap forward.^[62][63]

Religion

It has been documented that most Chinese in South Korea are followers of Chinese folk religion, Buddhism and Taoism. Chinese have established some folk temples dedicated to various gods, which provide networks linking back to mainland China or Taiwan. Otherwise, there are no formal Chinese Buddhist and Taoist temples in Korea. Chinese Buddhist attend temples of Korean Buddhism. Many Chinese belong to Yiguandao, a religious movement originating from Chinese folk religion. Since the 1990s, Christianity has made some inroads among the Chinese of Korea, with at least one Chinese-language church established by a pastor from Taiwan. Chinese Catholics attend Korean Catholic churches.^[3]

Education

There are multiple ROC Chinese international schools in South Korea:

• Seoul Chinese Primary School
• Seoul Overseas Chinese High School
• Yeongdeugpou Korea Chinese Primary School (永登浦華僑小學/한국영등포화교소학교)
• Overseas Chinese Elementary School Busan (韓國釜山華僑小學/부산화교소학교)
• Overseas Chinese Middle and High School Busan
• Overseas Chinese Elementary School Daegu (한국대구화교초등학교)
• Overseas Chinese Middle and High School Daegu
• Overseas Chinese School Incheon (인천화교소·중산중고등학교)
• Suwon Zhongzheng Chinese Elementary School (水原華僑中正小學/수원화교중정소학교)
• Overseas Chinese Elementary School Uijongbu (議政府華僑小學/의정부화교소학교)
• Wonju Chinese Elementary School (原州華僑小學校/원주화교소학교)
• Chungju Chinese Elementary School (忠州華僑小學校/충주화교소학교)
• Onyang Chinese Elementary School (溫陽華僑小學校/온양화교소학교)
• Kunsan Chinese Elementary School (群山華僑小學/군산화교소학교)

Notable people

See also

• Koreans in China
• Koreans in Taiwan
• Korean clan names of foreign origin

References

Sources

• Chao, Zhongchen (1998), "山东省日照市旅汉华侨的调查报告 [Report of Fieldwork on the Returned Overseas Chinese of South Korea in Rizhao City, Shandong Province]", in Sinn, Elizabeth, The last half century of Chinese overseas, Hong Kong University Press, pp. 463–484, ISBN 978-962-209-446-8
• Choi, Sheena (2001), Gender, Ethnicity and Market Forces: Observations of Ethnic Chinese in Korea, East Asia: History, Politics, Sociology and Culture Series, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-8153-4030-0
• Duus, Peter (1995), The Abacus and the Sword: The Japanese Penetration of Korea, 1895-1910, University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-21361-0
• Hamashita, Takeshi (2001), "Overseas Chinese Financial Networks and Korea", in Sugiyama, Shinya; Grove, Linda, Commercial networks in modern Asia, Routledge, pp. 56–70, ISBN 978-0-7007-1419-3
• Kim, Kwang-ok (2004), "Chinese in Korea", in Ember, Melvin; Ember, Carol R.; Skoggard, Ian A., Encyclopedia of diasporas: immigrant and refugee cultures around the world, Springer, pp. 688–697, ISBN 978-0-306-48321-9
• Kraus, Charles (2014), "Bridging East Asia's Revolutions: The Overseas Chinese in North Korea, 1945-1950", The Journal of Northeast Asian History, 11 (2)
• Larsen, Kirk (2008), Tradition, Treaties, and Trade: Qing Imperialism and Choson Korea, 1850-1910, Harvard University Press, ISBN 0-674-02807-4
• 慕德政 [Mu Dezheng] (2001), "朝鲜华侨教育的历史回顾 [On Chinese Education in DPRK: Past and Present]", Overseas Chinese History Studies, 1 (4), ISSN 1002-5162
• 慕德政 [Mu Dezheng] (2003), "朝鲜华侨教育的现状 [Present Situation of the Overseas Chinese Education in the DPRK]", Social Sciences Journal of Yanbian University, 36 (2), ISSN 1009-3311
• Rhee, Young-ju (2009), "Diversity within Chinese Diaspora: "Old" versus "New" huaqiao Residents in South Korea", in Fernandez, Jane, Diasporas: Critical and Interdisciplinary Perspectives (PDF), Oxford, United Kingdom: Inter-Disciplinary Press, pp. 111–126, ISBN 978-1-904710-68-4
• Yi, Jeong-hui (2007), "중일전쟁과 조선화교: 조선의 화교소학교를 중심으로 [The Sino-Japanese War and the Overseas Chinese in Korea: Focused on the Joseon Overseas Chinese Primary School]" (PDF), 《중국근현대사연구》: 107–129, ISSN 1598-8287

Further reading

• Park, Heh-rahn (1996), Narratives of Migration: From the Formation of Korean Chinese Nationality in the PRC to the Emergence of Korean Chinese Migrants in South Korea, Ph.D. dissertation, University of Washington, OCLC 36173120
• Yang, Pil-seung; Yi, Jeong-hui (2004), 《차이나타운없는나라 : 한국화교경제의어제와오늘》 [A Country without a Chinatown: Yesterday and Today in the Overseas Chinese Economy of Korea], Seoul: Samseong Gyeongje Yeonguso, ISBN 978-89-7633-242-4, OCLC 58047117
  • Also published in Chinese as 梁必承; 李正熙; 全敏 (translator) (2006), 《韩国, 沒有中国城的国家 : 21世纪型中国城的出现背景》, Beijing: Tsinghua University, ISBN 978-7-302-12742-0, OCLC 273498122
• 陆益龙 (2006), 《嵌入性适应模式：韩国华侨文化与生活方式的变迁》 [A Model of Embedded Adaptability: The Evolution of Society and Lifestyle Among Overseas Chinese in Korea], Beijing: China Social Sciences Press, ISBN 978-7-5004-5921-7, OCLC 173283674
• Wang, Mun-yong (2007), 《한국 화교 의 생활 과 정체성》 [Life and Identity of Overseas Chinese in Korea], 구술사료선집 [Materials of Oral History Series], Gwancheon, Gyeonggi-do: National Institute of Korean History, ISBN 978-89-8236-390-0, OCLC 262402436
• Choi, Sheena (2008), "Politics, Commerce, and Construction of Chinese 'Otherness' in Korea: Open Port Period (1876-1910)", in Kuah-Pearce, Khun Eng; Davidson, Andrew P., At home in the Chinese diaspora: memories, identities and belongings, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 128–145, ISBN 978-0-230-50698-5