An even greater flow of immigration occurred after a severe famine in Korea in 1869. Most who moved to China began working for Chinese landlords, which put them into debt and caused them to move often. During Japanese control of Korea and Northern China, many more Koreans fled Japanese oppression choosing to find safety in China. Many were cut off from family and could not travel back to Korea when the Chinese-Korean border was closed in the late 1940's. Korean dress is traditionally white, the symbol of simplicity and serenity, and men wear baggy pants fastened at the ankles and a jacket that fastens on the right.
Women typically wear voluminous skirts with a tight jacket.
Their food is very spicy and often includes pickled vegetables, cold noodles, and sticky rice cakes. Koreans are known for their customs of respecting the old and cherishing the young. A man of a younger generation must show proper respect and modesty when he speaks to a man of the older generation. Often the older members of the family sit at a special table reserved for honorable guests. Children always wait to eat until after their parents have eaten.