GPF: Global Peace Leadership Conferencein Philippines 2022.Dec. 2-3
Session II “International Support fora Free and Unified Korea”

The Role of Overseas Koreans
For Korean Unification
Professor NUKUI. Kotetsu（LEE Gangzhol)
Hokuriku University,INAF(Institute for Northeast Asian Future, Japankklichard@gmail.com

Contents
Ⅰ．Ethnic Koreas in China
Ⅱ．Global Korean Diaspora & Network
Ⅲ．Relations of Korean-Chinese with Korean
peninsula
Ⅳ．Role of Korea-Chinese for Unified Korea
Conclusion

Ⅰ．Ethnic Koreans in China
There have 1.8million ethnic Koreansin China.
Many Koreans migrated to China from1860 to 1945.
After World War Ⅱ, there have about
2million Koreans live in China, and about
1million Koreans came back to there mothercoutry from1945 to 1949.
After than Koreans in China changed there
nationality to Chinese, be called
Korean-Chines(朝鮮族、조선족)My history as a Korean-Chinese
My grandfather were migrated toManchuria of China in 1912 fromNorth Korea. My father and mybrothers born in Yanbian
Jilin Provence of China.

Many ethnic Koreans in China live in Jilin Province andHeilongjiang and Liaoning Province the Northeast China.
Most reside there in and around Yanbian KoreanAutonomous Prefecture, the largest administrative divisionin Jilin.
There, Korean is an official language and Koreans make up
half the population of Yanbian’s capital, Yanji.

Ⅰ．Ethnic Koreans in China
PRC

Heilongjiang Provence
Jilin Provence
Yanbian Korean
Autonomous Prefecture Russia
Yanji

Liaoning Provence
DPRK

UNDP Project, Tumen River Area Development Project started
from1991. On the bother of DPRK and China and Russia
3 country, the delta area have big project of economic free zone,transportation, travel etc. ROK and Japan also related thisproject.

Korean-Chinese, there traditional live styleⅡ．Global Korean Diaspora & it’s NetworkThe Korean diaspora consists of around
7.3 million people, both descendants of early
emigrants from the Korean Peninsula, aswell as more recent emigres from Korea.
Around 84.5% of overseas Koreans live injust five countries(2021):
China: 2.35million(32%)
U.S.A: 2.63 million(36%)
Japan: 0.82 million(11%)
Canada: 0.24 million(3%)
Uzbekistan: 0.17 million(2%)

Ⅱ．Global Korean Diaspora & NetworkFiguer 1.
RegionCountryTotal

Overseas Koreans resident in ROK
by continents & country2015

2017

2019

2021Total%

7,292,485 7,539,821 7,493,587 7,325,143

increase%100-2.25

818,865

11.18

-0.74

China

2,585,993 2,548,030 2,461,386 2,350,422

32.09

-4.51

U.S.A

2,238,989 2,492,252 2,546,982 2,633,777

35.96

3.41

Japan

855,725

818,626

824,977

Northeast Asia

North America
Canada224,054240,942

241,750

237,364

3.24

-1.81

Latin America

105,243

106,794

103,617

90,2891.23-12.86

Eurpoe734,702739,826

687,059

677,156

9.24

-1.44

Africa11,583

10,853

10,877

9,471

0.13-12.93

Middle East

25,56324,707

24,49818,3790.25-24.98Souce:
https://www.korean.net/portal/index.doⅡ．Global Korean Diaspora & Network
Overseas Koreans have over 100 years history,
they were organized 3031 group in the world.
For example. The World OKTA(Overseas Korean Traders Associations) is alarge business organize.
It’s established 1981, in 16 country and 101
members.
They were expanded to 67 countries and 141
branch in the world, include 7,000 regula
members and 26,000 yang peoples as new
entrepreneur 2021.

Ⅲ．Relations of Korean-Chinese with Korea• Since the implementation of China's reformand open-door policy 1980s, KoreanChinese have expanded from the Northeastof China to the coastal areas and large citiesof China, as well as to other countries
around the world.
• South Korea, Japan, the United States andRussia were the main targets.
• South Korea: 628,000, Japan: 80,000• Russia: 30,000, U.S.A: 40,000

Ⅲ．Relations of Korean-Chinese with Korea
Figure2.

Overseas Korean Resident in South Korea

Country

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

China

702,932

728,539719,269

662,845

628,491

80.7

U.S.A45,177

45,01145,65544,03943,212

5.5

Uzbekistan

31,08134,35536,752

31,962

32,216

4.1

Russia21,26425,302

28,02026,871

27,488

3.5

Canada15,947

15,933

16,046

15,975

16,731

2.1

Kazakhstan

9,223

12,58614,992

13,033

13,993

1.8

Australia

4,617

4,624

4,783

4,430

4,232

0.6

Newziland

2,395

2,436

2,490

2,393

2,279

0.3

Others

8,672

9,879

10,432

9,663

10,028

1.4

Total

841,308

878,665

878,439

811,211778,670

100.0

Source: Ministry of Justice of ROK.2022.11
Korean-Chinese Changed nationality to Korea 85,977(46.3%,2019)2021(%)

Figur3. Korean-Chinese migrated to overseas from1980-2021
CountryamountPurpose of migration

South Korea 628,000 from 1990s to curent Worker, Int'l Marige, Business, Student
Japan
80,000 from 1980s to curent Student, IT engineer, Int'l marige
Russia30,000 from 1980s to curent Business, Farmer, Worker
U.S.A
40,000 from 1990s to curent Worker, Student, Business
Other area 50,000 from 1990s to curent Worker, Student, Business
Total

828,000

資料: 中国朝鮮族研究会編『朝鮮族のグローバル移動と国際ネットワーク』アジア経済文化韓国法務部出入国管理局

Ⅳ．Role of Korea-Chinese for Unified Korea• (1)Relations of China with South & NorthKorea• (a) Economic relations between China andNorth Korea••

China is North Korea's largest trading
partner, 90% of trade depends on China.
The main players on China's trade with
North Korea are ethnic Koreans.

Ⅳ．Role of Korea-Chinese for Unified Korea• （ｂ）Economic relations between China and SouthKorea. More than 30% of South Korea’s
international trade depends on China. Many South
Korean companies have invested directly in Chinaalso.

• Many Korean-Chinese work in South Korean
companies of China, and they were playing
leading role and important bridge of China andSouth Korea.
• （２）KoreanーChinese to play very important role
not only in business, but also in cultural, personal,and tourism exchanges.

Ⅳ．Role of Korea-Chinese for Unified Korea
Bother of China and North Korea
Koreans in Dandong city, Liaoning Provence:
Dandong city became a very important point what is gather
4group business people.
North Korean & Chinese in North Korean: 2,000 people
Korean-Chinese :8,000 people
South Koreans:2,000 people•Conclusion• Koreans are important actors ininternational exchanges between the Korean
Peninsula and Northeast Asia, including
China and Japan, and are indispensable tothe unification of the Korean Peninsula.
• How to recognize and utilize their roles is an
important issue for the future.

Thank you for listening