Uzbek Koreans in Search of a New Identity in the Republic of Korea

Abstract

The intensification of migration processes of ethnic Koreans
from the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Korea over the past decades has an impact on the formation of their new identity. The construction of the identity of ethnic Koreans occurs at different levels, which is reflected in various ethnonyms from koryo saram – Russian-speaking Koreans with citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan to koryoin – Russian-speaking Koreans, including those from Uzbekistan, who live in the Republic of Korea permanently. This process takes place at various levels, from the development of political, economic, and socio-cultural
relations between the countries to the emergence of new
koryo saram institutions in the Republic of Korea. Identity is
considered by the authors as a social formation formed on the basis of a common symbolic base for individuals. This article argues that consolidation on the basis of citizenship and belonging to the same ethnic group from Uzbekistan is under development.