When it comes to the Korean ethnic group, many people often first think of South Korea.
However, China is also home to a large population of Koreans, among whom the Yanbian area in Jilin Province is their main settlement in China.
So, what is the relationship between Korean ethnic groups in China and Koreans in South Korea?
Who exactly are the ancestors of the Korean ethnic group?
In fact, both the main Korean ethnic group "Han Chinese" in South Korea and the Korean ethnic group in China originated from the "Three Hans" in the southern part of the peninsula, namely Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan.
During the Han Dynasty, the Joseon Dynasty was destroyed by Wei Man of the Yan State, and later the Wei Dynasty of Joseon was established.
Until the reign of Emperor Han Wu of the Han Dynasty, the Wei Dynasty of Joseon was conquered again by the Han Dynasty and four counties were established, which later became the Han four counties.
For a considerable period of time, the Han four counties became the institution of the Central Plains Dynasty's direct management of the peninsula, and a large amount of Central Plains culture was also introduced to the Korean Peninsula.
With the passage of time, the three Hans in the southern part of the peninsula gradually grew stronger and formed countries such as Silla, Baekje, and Goguryeo.
Therefore, the relationship between Koreans and Koreans can be said to originate from the common origin of the Korean Peninsula, sharing a rich history and cultural background.
However, the Koreans who lived on the Korean Peninsula in the early days and later moved to northeastern China and settled there became one of China's cross-border ethnic groups.
This migration was a long and difficult process. Under the pressure of survival, they left their hometowns and settled for the first time about 300 years ago.
At that time, there were groups of Korean surnamed Park settled in Qinglong County, Hebei Province and Gai County, Liaoning Province.
The large-scale migration of Koreans into northeastern China and northern China began in the mid-19th century.
At that time, farmers in northern Korea were brutally exploited and oppressed by the feudal ruling class, coupled with continuous natural disasters around 1869, their lives were in extreme difficulties.
Under the pressure of hunger and cold, many Korean farmers crossed the Yalu River and Tumen River to seek new opportunities for life.
This period of history is one of the main reasons for the major migration of Koreans in China, but the Korean farmers who initially settled in northeastern China were mostly seasonal migrations, not permanent settlements.
By the late 19th century, the Qing government's ban policy gradually relaxed and began to implement policies to attract people to reclaim wasteland.
In order to attract more Korean farmers to settle down, the Qing government demarcated a special reclamation area 700 miles long and 50 miles wide north of the Tumen River.
These policies prompted a large number of Korean farmers to move into northeastern China to settle down.
However, history is unpredictable.
In 1910, Korea became a Japanese colony. When Japan strengthened its control over northeastern China, it also forced a large number of Koreans to flee their homeland again and come to northeastern China to seek safety and survival.
By 1918, Chinese statistics showed that the Korean population settled in Northeast China exceeded 360,000.
With Japan's intensified aggression and immigration policies in the 1930s, more Korean farmers were forced to move to various parts of northeastern China.
Only between 1937 and 1940, 14,725 Korean farming households migrated.
By the time Japan surrendered in 1945, the Korean population settled in China had exceeded 2.16 million.
However, history is not a one-way process, and many people's destinies have been deeply influenced by another branch.
Under the coercion of Japanese colonial rule, some Koreans moved to northeastern China, while others chose to go to the border areas of Tsarist Russia.
Tsarist Russia maintained an open and encouraging policy towards Koreans within its territory, leading to a rapid increase in the number of Koreans living in Tsarist Russia to 100,000.
With the birth of the second generation of Koreans, this number further increased to about 200,000.
However, the policy of Tsarist Russia turned to racial discrimination and oppression against Koreans, forcing them to seek new ties with the Soviet Union.
At this time, a large number of immigrants brainwashed by the influence of Japan were sent from the Korean Peninsula to join this newly formed community.
As the Soviet Union and Koreans parted ways, some Koreans were cleansed and massacred, and the remaining more than 200,000 people were driven to Central Asia.
There, they worked hard to develop new lives, experienced several generations of reproduction, and to this day, there are still 350,000 Koreans living in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and other countries, claiming to be Koreans.
In China, after Japan surrendered, some Koreans returned to the Korean Peninsula.
After several years of population movement, the population census conducted in 1954 showed that the Korean population in China had reached 1.111 million.
With the implementation of ethnic regional autonomy policies, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture established in 1952 and Changbai Korean Autonomous County established in 1958 promoted the inheritance and development of Korean culture.
By 2010, the Korean population in China had exceeded 1.83 million, mainly distributed in the three northeastern provinces, with an additional 148,000 Koreans living in coastal open areas such as Beijing and Shandong, together forming a prosperous scene of diverse ethnic cultures in China.
As one of China's long-standing ethnic minorities, Koreans have a unique history and culture.
Their living tradition centers around the ondol heating system, with men often sitting cross-legged and women kneeling with both knees on the ground.
The "men outside, women inside" model is the most common marriage pattern among Koreans, and family life is governed by strict social norms and customs, such as diet, clothing, and etiquette.
During traditional festivals, Koreans also have their own unique ways of celebrating and customs, such as the Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and National Day, all of which have their own unique ways of celebrating and customs.
Comments