Leiden University Student Repository

Kreuger, Claudia (2024)

South Korea's official policy regulation of diaspora return migration: Examining a co-ethnic hierarchy amongst Korean-Chinese, Koryoin, and Korean-Americans

Bachelor thesis | Koreastudies (BA)

This paper asks how co-ethnic hierarchy informs the formulation and implementation of South Korean official policies on diaspora return migration. While prior Diaspora Engagement Policy (DEP) research often observed preference for diaspora members over other immigrants, this paper expands the literature on DEP by considering South Korea’s preference for certain co-ethnic groups over other within diaspora. The analysis includes the three largest Korean diaspora groups: the Korean-Chinese, Koryoin, and Korean-Americans. First, by conducting a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of laws, this paper examines presence of a co-ethnic hierarchy in formulated return migration policies. Second, an exploration of diaspora groups’ eligibility for Overseas Korea visas reveals how co-ethnic hierarchy informs implemented return migration policies. Although there is no explicit differential treatment between diaspora groups in formulated policies since 2004, there is an apparent co-ethnic hierarchy...Show moreThis paper asks how co-ethnic hierarchy informs the formulation and implementation of South Korean official policies on diaspora return migration. While prior Diaspora Engagement Policy (DEP) research often observed preference for diaspora members over other immigrants, this paper expands the literature on DEP by considering South Korea’s preference for certain co-ethnic groups over other within diaspora. The analysis includes the three largest Korean diaspora groups: the Korean-Chinese, Koryoin, and Korean-Americans. First, by conducting a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of laws, this paper examines presence of a co-ethnic hierarchy in formulated return migration policies. Second, an exploration of diaspora groups’ eligibility for Overseas Korea visas reveals how co-ethnic hierarchy informs implemented return migration policies. Although there is no explicit differential treatment between diaspora groups in formulated policies since 2004, there is an apparent co-ethnic hierarchy in visa regulation. Implicit language found in legal textual policies confirms that the South Korean government regulates return migration of its diaspora according to a hierarchical order.Show less

Diaspora

co-ethnic hierarchy

South Korea

law

visa

Author

Kreuger, Claudia

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Supervisors

S.C. Denney

ECTS Credits

10

Language

en