Ethnic Minorities in China and Their Cultures - Korean Minority, by China Report.com

The Korean Ethnic Minority is the 13Th Largest Ethnic Minority Group in China.

Most members of the Korean Ethnic Minority are dispersed in the North-Western Provinces of Jilin, Liaoning, Heilongjiang and the Inner-Mongolia Autonomous Region, together part of former Manchuria.

The Main population of Koreans is found at Yanbian Korean Prefecture located in the extreme North-East corner of Jilin Province, directly bordering on Russia and the North-Korean Border. A very small minority of Koreans have migrated further into China's Central plains where they can be found in medium sized and large cities. Beijing, for instance, knows its own small Korean enclave within ChaoYang District about which more in spring of 2009 AD. In Xi'an there is another Chaoxian Enclave.

Although since 1982 AD, historic documents have proven that the Chaoxian had been living in the Northeast region of China from as early as the Ming and Qing Dynasties,

most Korean Minority Members are descendants of early Korean Immigrants of the 19Th and early 20Th Century, currently the Korean Minority includes large numbers of North Korean Refugees who managed to flee from North Korea across the Border and now reside illegally in the North-West of China. There are an estimated 10.to 100.000 or more.

Eversince the great famines of the 1990's the influx of North Korean Refugees has greatly increased. The Chinese Government however is unwilling to grant official refugee status to North Korean refugee migrants and those found by the Police are deported back to North Korea to face a grim future. In the last few years strict penalties have been given to those found harboring Korean Refugees, in a vain attempt to diminish the considerable local support and sympathy for the fleeing North Koreans.

History of the Korean Minority in China :

The ancestors of the Korean minority in China immigrated directly across the border from the Korean Peninsula. The first wave of Korean immigration began in the latter part of the 17th century, then only consisting of small numbers. The first settlers only trickled in from across the border, settling in less populated area's where they continued Korean styles of agriculture, especially concentrating on rice farming.

Large Scale immigrations of Koreans into North-Western China did not occur until the 19th century. They first wave of Koreans migrated in order to avoid the oppressive feudal landlords in their Korea. A second later wave was mainly caused by the great famine of 1869 AD and the third wave of Korean Migrants arrived during the prolonged period of Wars between Russia and Japan and during the Japanese Occupation of Korea in the early years of the 20th century.

Not much is known about the Life in Korea during the Japanese Occupation, but life was hard, the Japanese installed Government oppressive and in general the Korean Culture was threatened. For instance: the Korean Language and its literature were banned entirely from schools in the Korean Occupied Area's under Japanese Rule and all Koreans were forced to adopt a Japanese Surname. As a result, many Korean Nationalist, dissidents and educated peoples fled the Nation. One way out was across the Chinese Border into Manchuria.

By 1945 an estimated 1.7 million Koreans lived in China.

An overwhelming majority of settlers, some 80%, came from areas that after 1945 became part of North Korea. All arriving groups of Korean migrants settled in Northeast China forming communities of ethnic Koreans who retained important parts of their Korean Culture. Over time the Korean Ethnic Minority adopted Chinese Cultural features and language skills, developing into the Korean Ethnic Minority of China, concentrated near the 1,416-kilometers long Chinese-North-Korean Border.

New migration came in the aftermath of World War 2. In the last stages of the War the Japanese Forces had pillaged the Peninsula, carrying away all livestock and rice stocks for the use of the Japanese themselves, as well confiscating all types of metals for the use in the war industry, two policies that devastated the Korean Nation and left the post-war Economy in shambles.

Under-developed industrially and in terms of infrastructure Korea was a doomed wasteland, and famine was widespread as a result of Japanese confiscation of food-stocks. Further worsening Korea's situation: few qualified Korean administrative personnel remained. Fleeing both the instable economic situation in their home nation as well as the Famines, new settlers arrived from North Korea into Jilin where farmland was available in relative abundance. The Special Status of Korean Minorities in North-East China ensured a favorable treatment by local governments.

During the Chinese Civil War, which reignited immediately after the Japanese Surrender in August of 1945 AD, most Koreans in Manchuria and Jilin chose to support the side of The Chinese Communist Party rather than the KuoMinTang led by Chiang Kai-Shek. During the Warlord Era the KuoMinTang had cleaned out the North (1928), however afterwards it had done nothing to stop the Japanese claims to Chinese Territory and the full-scale invasion of Korea and Manchuria, which had led to extensive suffering for all Manchurians. It was in Manchuria that Japanese Forces practiced Biological Warfare, and it was in Manchuria where whole villages were bombed and burned down by Japanese and loyal troops of the Puppet-Regime of "Manchukuo" (Led (nominally) by "Last Emperor" Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi formerly of the Ching Dynasty 1644 AD - 1911 AD).

Not only that, the Communist Army and Party were a peasant based movement rather than a sweet talking bunch of literati from afar. The program of the Communist Party included re-distribution of land, grass-roots democracy, education, special rights for the Korean Minority, and last but not least: they were famed for their resistance against the "brutal aggressor" in their native area's, the Japanese.

Thus, the Koreans in Manchuria warm-heartedly supported the Communist Party of China and the North-Eastern Provinces became an important base for their National Movement and Military Operations. By the end of 1948 AD 81% of all Communist Party Cadres in the region were of Ethnic Korean descent, among them one Kim Il-Sung, a longstanding Communist Party Member and close friemd of Mao Zedong at Yan'An (Communist Revolutionary Base in North Shaanxi Province).

When in 1949 AD the Peoples Republic of China was established, the support of the Korean and other Minorities in the Fight for powers over the Nation was not easily forgotten. Following a long standing program of friendship and cooperation with the many ethnic groups from around the Nation, the Communist Party of China went ahead with the creation of multiple ethnic area's with (semi-)autonomous rule for the inhabitants, under Leadership of the Central Government.

As a result, in the North, where the overwhelming support from the Koreans helped swiftly recapture the former borders of the Chinese Nation during the last throws of the Civil War, a Special Autonomous Region was created in Favor of the Koreans.

In China the Korean Ethnic Minority are known as the Chaoxian, refering to the Chinese Signs used to describe the Nationality.

The Members of the Korean Ethnic Minority in China are considered to be in a relatively advanced position, demographically and socio-economically. Education is considered very important among the Korean Minorities. Their illiteracy rate is the lowest among the 56 Minorities and the college attendance rate of Koreans is the highest of all Chinese Minorities. Through the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture and Ethnic Networks the Korean Nationality Community have their own communication and education networks preserving their culture, social position and identity.

Among the latest developments for the Korean Minority in China are grave challenges. The Korean minority has been experiencing a deep social change, as other nationalities are, since China adopted reforms and open door policies. The “compact community” of Korean agricultural villages, the basis of their traditional lifestyle, is facing a crisis of disintegration. Koreans in China are hoping for economic development and, at the same time, are concerned about losing their ethnic identity.

Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, or Yanbian ChaoXianzu ZizhiZhou, measures 42,700 square kilometers (roughly 45% of the Size of South Korea) and is located in the far North-Eastern Corner of Jilin Province where it borders on both Russia and North-Korea. To the North and West lies the Russian controlled area of Primorsky Krai with the nearby City of Vladivostok. Yanbian Prefecture has two counties, Antu and Wangqing.

The Korean Prefecture has only 2.2 million inhabitants (the total population in Yanbian in 2008 was 2.185.500, of which 58.34% Chinese, 38.76% Korean, 2.9% other minorities) concentrated in Six major population centres. These are Dunhua, then the Prefectural Capital City of Yanji (Yon'gil) counting 399 thousand citizens and Yanji Chaoyangchuan Airport, LongJing and Tumen somewhat famed for its bridge (the Tumen-Namyang bridge) and border-crossing into North- Korea. As a Last point may be mentioned the small city of Hunchun underneath the south slope of the Selin Mountain of some 160.00 citizens. The Eastern most population center in the prefecture is Fangchuan, an attraction only because of its remote location in view of both the Russian and North-Korean Borders.

Read More on Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, or Third Korea on this page: Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture - Main Menu - Click Here !

Meanwhile, in June of 1950 AD hostilities had started between the new (and supposedly temporary) Nations of North- and South-Korea drawing the Special Attention of the Central Chinese Government and even the Chairman, Mao Zedong himself, to the Korean Peninsula and the Chinese Border Regions.

In these years the Chinese Government would strongly emphasize its good relationship with its small brother Nation of Korea and many times over the Great Friendship of the Chinese and Korean Peoples was Emphasized. The Central Government was counting on the Korean Minorities to fully support their policies and military aid to North Korea.

To illustrate the cooperation between China and North Korea in this period, some historians report that of the North Korean Army driving into South Korea in June of 1950 AD more than 38,000 were former ethnic Korean soldiers who were part of Chinese communist IV Field Army. They further claim that another equal number of former ethnic Korean soldiers of Chinese communist IV Field Army did not participate in the invasion but served in the ranks of the North Korean army in other regions of North Korea.

Through several stages of recognition by the establishing Central Government in Beijing, by 1952 AD Yanbian had become the recognized home of the Korean Ethnic Minority of China.

In that same Year the Korean War would start in earnest with a War Front rolling back and forth over the Korean Peninsula twice in a row. During the conflict Yanbian and wider Jilin became the focus of massive railway transports in supply of the friendly North Korean Nation. In response American Aircraft unofficially bombed railway yards and bridges within Yanbian Prefecture and Jilin Province of China in support of UN Mandated operations.

In 1952 AD and the following year 1953 AD, Chinese Volunteer troops reached across the Yalu to drive out American and United Nations troops that had marched to within sight of the Yalu and Tumen Rivers threatening the Chinese Homeland. The ensuing Warfare was known in China as the War to Resist America and Aid Korea (抗美援朝), and Mao Zedongs oldest Son Mao Anqing , enlisted in the Chinese Volunteer Army fighting in North Korea, died in the conflict being hit by an american aircraft bomb.

Although it was a conflict with massive casualties, most Chinese supplies to North Korea went through the South and Yanbian was left in peace throughout the period. Korean Ethnic Sons enlisted in the Volunteer Army only returned to Yanbian Prefecture and the Chinese-North Korean Border with the armistice of July 27Th, 1953 AD which is still in effect. The Volunteer Army would stay on station in North Korea until 1958 AD, when it was fully withdrawn and disbanded.

In the late 1960's the Cultural Revolution in China caused some political backlash for the Korean Ethnic Minority. In fact, most if not all Ethnic Minorities were challenged in this difficult and paranoid period of Chinese Political History.

As for the Koreans, there was some repression of their culture and a thorough check of their political loyalty to the Chinese Revolution and the homeland of China. During this period ideological-struggle sessions every day were the norm, Korean Nationalism, Language, Festivals and Culture was not encouraged and overall the Koreans had to lay low for a while.

After Mao's Death (1976) and with the opening up Policy of successor Deng Xiaoping much changed for the all Ethnic Minorities, including the North-Eastern Korean Minority and Yanbian Prefecture. The wrongs of the Cultural Revolution where quickly undone and normal preferent policies were restored. Korean Culture could openly flourish again. Since, many Korean community cultural institutions have received generous subsidies from the central government. The Chinese state sponsors a large network of the Korean-language schools and until recently nearly all Korean children received secondary education in their ancestors’ native tongue. Today's Yanbian has bilingual road signs under Law and Korean Nationality is celebrated in all openess without restrictions.

The 1990's and Beyond - A New Challenge :

Although the North-Eastern Provinces of China and especially landlocked Jilin Province have lagged behind with the Nationwide Economic Boom that started in the 1990's, the growing pains and woes that have swept the Nation have reached Yanbian Prefecture and surrounding area's as well. The latest challenge to the Korean Identity derives not from inter-actions with the Chinese Han Majority or loss of traditional culture per se', but from the migration of young members to the larger Cities.

Increasingly, Members of the Korean Minority migrate away from Yanbian and its agriculturally based community to large Cities such as Changchun (a center of the autombile industry) and beyond in search of better eonomic opportunities.

At and around Yanbian Prefecture elders see their children move away to the City, leaving the Farm and Parents to fend for themselves. In this way Yanbian Korean Ethnic Majority is thinned out leaving some questions as to the Future of the Autonomous Prefecture.

Beginning in the mid-1990s, the ethnic Korean population of Yanbian began to shrink. Where in 1953 AD, the first year of the Prefecture, Koreans comprised 60.2% of the population, the share of ethnic Koreans had dropped to 36.3% of the total population in 2000 AD. The number is today still falling due to a number of factors. First and foremost is the high education and combined low fertility rate of ethnic korean women. Second is the high rate of intermarriage with Han Chinese, and thirdly there is the economic pull of high level jobs in far away cities, high level jobs that are not available in the Yanbian Prefecture and wider Region.

Thus, Korean Chinese are more likely than Han Chinese to migrate interprovincially and intraprovincially. It has been predicted that if current trends continue, the percentage of ethnic Koreans among the population will drop to merely 25% by 2020 AD. Local and even National Government have taken important measures to try and stem this Tide by launching a major campaign to revitalize the North-East with new industries and initiatives. South Korean investors with Nationalist intentions have shared the burden. Railway lines in Eastern Jilin and Heilongjiang have been expanded, communications upgraded and Yanbian Prefecture received its very own airport. The Capital of Yanji saw a dramatic overhaul with new apartments, office buildings and stores reshaping the City within years. All in all the living standards in the area have improved dramatically. However, the outflow of Koreans continues.

As the displacement of young Koreans brings changes to Yanbian Prefecture, Korean Culture is spread more widely among the Chinese in the larger Cities' where the Korean culture is celebrated as a relatively new flavor among many.

Festivals :

Basically, the Korean minority celebrate the same festival as the Han people which including the Lunar New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Qingming Festival, the Pure Brightness Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival,etc. Besides these, they have three important days which are celebrated in their families - a baby's one-year birthday, a senior people's 60th birthday (Huijia Ji) and a couple's 60th wedding anniversary. At these joyous times, guests will give gifts to the person or couple being honored and will also celebrate by enjoying the host's delicious dishes.

To celebrate a baby's first birthday many guests would be invited to attend a dinner party. Huajia festival is the sixtieth birthday and the huihun festival is the sixtyieth wedding anniversary of a couple. On Huajia Festival, the elder person whose 60th birthday is being celebrated in his best clothes sits in the middle with the other old people sitting on both sides. His children, grandchildren and relatives kneel down in front, offering him wine one by one to show their respects and thanks.

The Huihun Festival, also named Guihun Festival, is the most ceremonial family festival. It is a great honor for a family to hold this festival and is often a communal affair for the whole village. On this special occasion, the couple will wear their wedding dress and attend the banquet held by their children and grandchild. All the guests will toast the couple and wish them a long life.

Among the Korean Ethnic Minorities respect for the elderly is very important. The Koreans even have their own Day of the Elderly, marked as August 15th. On this day younger people traditionally are forbidden to drink or smoke in front of their elders, are expected to walk behind their elders and should give way and greet elders when meeting them showing a maximum of respect.

In the Chaoxian family (often of agricultural backgrounds) the elder son is expected to support his parents forever. Anyone who is not dutiful to their parents will be looked down on by all of their society.

Social Life :

The Korean people are especially good at singing and dancing. They sing and dance not only during the festivals, but also in the leisure time and during the breaks in work.

The Korean dances are graceful and elegant, a harmonious combination of strength and flexibility. The famous folk dances include the Tambourin Dance, Fan Dance, Carrying Water Dance, Sword Dance, Dance of Happy Farmers, and more. During many dances girls Dance with Drums and Fans, whereas their male counterparts dance with a Dagger or Knife in their wastebands.

The songs sung by the Korean people are beautiful, natural and full of inspiration and expressive force. The famous Korean folk songs like the balloon-flower ballad, Alilang and Along Noduer River Side are widely known throughout China and Korea and are sung on many occassions. The Koreans value aesthetics, and educate their children to appreciate beauty.

In modern Times Koreans like athletic sports like football, wrestling, skating, springboard and playing swing. Traditional sports are wrestling and footbal for men, and seasaw jumping and swings for women. For the men wrestling is the traditional test in strength and skills.

Today Football is especially popular among the Korean men and Yanbian area has a reputation as of the "land of football". Several players from Yanbian have made National Careers and no less than 6 have been elected for the Chinese National Team.

Residence :

Most of the Korean villages are located near the mountains and rivers and have only a have relatively few citizens. Many have only 7 to 12 households and consist purely of frams, others villages are larger with dozens of Families and several available services. Until very recently, the houses in and around Yanbian Prefecture were constructed out of wood (easily available) and either had a tiled-roof or even a straw thatch-roof. Due to the large increase in living standards throughout the nation since the 1990's houses now have more modern amenities and thatched roofs have all but disappeared.

The doors of Korean Houses (farms) open to the Southeast, South or Southwest. Korean house usually have a wooden framework and a roof of four sloping planes covered with a thick layer of straw or tiles. Their house usually has three doors in the front side and four rooms: bedroom, reception room, kitchen and warehouse.

The most striking feature of the Korean house is the flat heatable bed (known as kang). Built with bricks or thin stone slabs, the surface of the kang is covered with wooden boards or fiberboard which is decorated with yellow lacquer polish. A flue underneath heats the kang keeping it warm in the cold winter.

In and around Yanbian, Shoes are left at the Door before entrance into the Home.

Traditional Dress :

The Koreans have the reputation of "the people in white" due to their special love of the color white.- a symbol of simplicity and serenity since ancient times. With the latest economic developments in China, the opening up to the world, and the rise of such inventions in communications as cellphones, satellite TV and the Internet, young Koreans are have changed in attitudes and are abondonning Korean Dress, chosing instead for more regular clothing in the styles of City Citizens.

Korean Traditional men's ware often includes a white short buttonless frocks with dark-colored sleeveless jackets outside. The Jackets close on the right. Their trousers are loose (baggy) with the trouser legs fastened with two cloth-straps at the ankles. The true traditional Men's costume is than completed with a high black hat made out of horse-hair.

Nowadays most of the Korean men wear western-style clothes and their traditional costume is worn only on special occasions such as festivals or weddings.

In their traditional dress, Korean women usually wear short buttonless jackets and long skirts. Their jackets, about 35 centimeters long, are tied with a red, blue or purple ribbon. Their silk skirts, have many folds at the waist.

Young women often wear short skirts, which reach their knees, while the older women wear the longer skirts down to their instep. Various fashionable dresses are now popular with the young women.

Diet / Food :

Yanbian traditionally is an agricultural community of small farms. For the Farmers of Jilin Province, many of whom are Ethnic Koreans, Rice is the staple food for the Korean people. Millet the second staple in the Region. The Rice and Millet are complemented with soup, catsup, piccalilli sauce, pickles and kimchi (pickled chinese cole in peppersauce). Koreans are famous for their cold noodles and also eat corn. Depending on economic standing small amounts of Beef, or fish are added to the menu on an infrequent basis.

The Diet of City based Koreans may differ from the traditional pattern.

The Korean Traditional cuisine is very spicy and includes kimchi (pickled vegetables), cold noodles, sticky rice cakes and dog meat.

Kimchi is a kind of pickled vegetables favored by Koreans. It is usually made in winter, and the main ingredients are cabbage and carrots which are spiced with garlic, capsicums, gingers, salt etc.

Especially Famed among Korean foods are the Cold-noodles with their unique flavor. They are a traditional cooked wheaten food of the Korean people. It is made of buckwheat, wheat-flour and amylum. Complemented with some beeves, chicken, capsicum and seasonings, the cold-noodles taste quite delicious.

The most popular meat dish among the Korean people is dog meat. In Fact, the Koreans are about the worlds' only Culture to eat dogs, giving the Koreans some international fame for their unusual cooking of dog-meat. Most foreign visitors to Yanbian are very interested in dishes made with dog-meat. Among the rare delicacies to be tested - Dog-meat soup is considered especially delicious. Even today, Korean people continue their tradition of treating their guests to a "Dog Meat Banquet". However Killing and eating dog is forbidden during weddings, funerals or festival periods.

Other traditional Chaoxian Korean dishes include Dagao, sponge cake and capsicum.

Table settings are very important within Chinese Culture, but even more so in Traditional Korean Culture. When eating together at a table, dishes must be placed in particular positions. The spoon and chopsticks should be on the right, rice should be to the left of the soup, and seasonings should be in the middle of the table. As elsewhere in China, Teapots should never point to any of the guests at the table as this causes unluck.

Economy :

The Korean people are mainly engaged in agriculture. They are especially good at growing paddy rice in the frigid regions where they reside (average Januari Temperatures range between -20 to -14 Celcius). The Yanbian area, where most of the Koreans live is the main production area of paddies in Northeast China. Local Agricultural Products include : rice, beef, precious herbs, corn, red peppers and flue-cured tobacco. Yanbian specifically is famous for its apples and pears, which have been exported since 1955 AD.

This area also has abundant natural resources: animals, plants and minerals. The famous "Three Treasures" of the Northeast, namely ginseng, marten fur, and pilose antler are found at Yanbian Prefecture and throughout the Province.

The oxen bred in Yanbian is one of the fines breeds in the five big producing areas of China. This area is also one of China's major sources of timber, mainly drawn from within the Changbai Shan National Park and the slopes of the Sikhote-Alin Mountains. Due to its remote location and rough climate the area is a habitat for many wild animals, including the Manchurian or Siberian Tiger.

Jilin Province furthermore has rich deposits of mineral resources such as copper, lead, zinc, gold, iron, antimony, phosphor, graphite, quartz, limestone and oil shale.

Copper, lead, zinc and gold have been mined at Yanbian and sites in Jilin and Heilongjiang Province since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and the area has a substantial mining industry and railway connections to support it. Railroad upgrades giving direct connections into Primorsky Krai and North Korean Harbors have been in operation since 1998/2002 AD.

Korean minority in Yanbian operate their own cultural channels and networks. First to appear immediatly after 1945 AD were Newspapers in the Korean language such as the Jilin Daily (later renamed the Yanbian Daily), Heilongjiang Daily and the Liaoning Daily. The Yanbian Korean Publishing House was founded in 1947 AD at Yanji the Capital of Yanbian Prefecture, and the Yanbian People's Radio went on the air in that same year.

The Yanbian Ethnic Korean University was founded in Yanji in 1949 AD, the first such Institute established in the new Nation of the Peoples Republic of China. Other important institutions of higher learning established during the early post-liberation period include the Yanbian Medical Institute, the Yanbian Amateur Agricultural University and a teachers college.

The Yanbian Prefecture and wider Korean Ethnic Community in the North-East are further well-known for their cultural- and art-performance troupes and Korean cultural organizations. The Yanbian song and dance, modern drama and theatrical companies are famous all over the country, and many Korean artists study at advanced institutes in other parts of China.

At the prefectural level, Korean ethnic minority organizations are the United Association of Yanbian Culture and Art Workers and the Yanbian Branch of the Chinese Writers Association.