Double-folded Orientation and Transnational Economic Involvement of Overseas Koreans in China

• In Event: 156 - Section on Global and Transnational Sociology Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 08. Organizations, Economics and Globalization

Abstract

This article claims for the need of analyzing Korean co-ethnic internal differentiation and reveals the heterogeneous transnational activities by co-ethnic subgroup living in China. I selected Wangjing Korea town in Beijing to examine the extent to which both of Korean Chinese and South Korean are involved in transnational activities. The analysis is based on the quantitative data collected for the purpose. It presents evidence of co-ethnic subgroup difference of transnational activities in terms of intensity and ethnic identification. Analysis shows that resource based predictor affects differently each subgroup’s transnational economic activities. Korean Chinese who have little resource tend to involve transnational economic activities, seeking economic linkage to homeland whereas South Korean is more likely to involve transnational activities when they have more resource in the receiving country. It also found that for Korean Chinese who are non-Korean national of the diasporic population, positive perception towards homeland leads to frequent transnational activities. Main findings imply complex interplay of negotiating ethnic nationalism, alternative economic strategy in involving transnational economic activities.

Author

• Yoon Kyong Lee, Korea University