Displaying items by tag: Korean migration

This article was published in Studies of Koreans Abroad, a major journal focusing on overseas Korean experiences in Korea (Volume 27, June 2012, pp.178-211). Through an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding), the Association for Studies of Koreans Abroad, the professional association in Korea that publishes the journal, has given the Research Center for Korean Community permission to post articles published in the journal on Korean American Data Bank. We have selected this article because it is likely to be interesting to many subscribers of our Data Bank. Since the English-language abstract is included at the end of the journal article, we give a short introduction to the article here. This article focuses on Koreatown established in New Malden in London. This article is based on preliminary research conducted by the author in May 2011, and some written documents, including newspaper articles. The New Malden Koreatown, which is the only established Koreatown in Europe, was formed in the 1990s. The author examined the development of the Korean enclave by dividing it into four periods: (1) explosive enlargement (1989-1997), (2) difficult time (1997-2002), (3) reformed community (2002-2007), and (4) stagnation (2007-2011). The author says that the majority of Korean residents in Koreatown were short-term temporary Korean residents, such as businessmen, students, and job-seekers. After two economic downturns, Koreatown in the 2010s has become a multiethnic neighborhood, inhabited not only by temporary Korean residents, but also Southeast Asians, some non-Korean British people who like Korean culture, Korean-Chinese, North Korean residents, and second-generation Koreans.