The Fine Line between a National and a Non-National: Case Study of the Sakhalin Koreans

• In Event: ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls?’: Migration, Diaspora and Border Crossing Phenomena in East Asia

Abstract

The core of the issue regarding the Sakhalin Koreans has been the repatriation of the Koreans that have been taken to Sakhalin by force during the Japanese colonial period. Therefore, the cooperation between the Japanese and Korean government regarding the repatriation or return home policy of the Sakhalin Koreans has been more successful than other historical issues between the two countries.
However, the issue of the repatriation of Sakhalin Koreans not only affects the first generation or those who were the actual victims but also their descendants. In other words, the premise of repatriation of the first generation of Sakhalin Koreans is that they were “Korean nationals”, and their repatriation was solely based on this premise. However, the exact same premise is now once again tearing apart Sakhalin Koreans’ families.
Thus, the issue of Sakhalin Koreans must not only be about whether they be repatriated or not; rather the issue is about who are in fact “Korean nationals”. This paper will attempt to explore the following crucial issues concerning the Sakhalin Koreans: (1) within the Korean community, who is considered “we” or “Koreans”, (2) how the Sakhalin Koreans are being influenced by the politics of inclusion and exclusion within the Korean community, and lastly (3) to discuss how the Sakhalin Koreans are being divided and dismantled once again. This paper expects to shed light on the significance of border between who is considered to be a “national” or “non-national” and the directionality of possible resolutions concerning the issue of Sakhalin Koreans.

Author

• Hyein Han, Sungkyunkwan University