Koreans | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

Koreans are the people of the Korean peninsula in northeast Asia. The peninsula's northern boundary is formed by the Amnok (Yalu) and Tumen Rivers, which separate Korea from the Manchurian region of the People's Republic of China. There is also a short 16-kilometer border with Russia near the city of Vladivostok along the peninsula's northeast corner.

The Korean peninsula is currently divided into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea), which together have an area of 221,607 square kilometers, roughly the size of Great Britain. About 68 million Koreans lived in the two Koreas in 2000: 22 million in the north and 46 million in the south. Another 6 million live in other parts of the world, such as China, Japan, the United States, the former Soviet Union, and South America.

Koreans pride themselves on racial homogeneity based on an assumption of shared blood, common origins, culture, and language, as well as the perceived sharing of a common history and destiny. The Chinese people form the largest ethnic minority group in Korea today. Recently, many ethnic Koreans have returnedto Korea from such places as China's Yanbian region (in Korean, Yonbyon) in search of better lives.

Foreign invasions (Mongol invasions in the thirteenth century, Japanese invasions in 1592 and 1597, and Manchu invasions in 1627 and 1636) also contributed to this sense of racial unity. United efforts at defense helped forge a shared identity for Koreans.

The Korean Peninsula has been inhabited for half a million years, but these indigenous people are not thought to be the earliest ancestors of the Korean people. Instead, Koreans are believed to be descendants of Altaic immigrants from Central Asia who displaced the earlier residents in the Neolithic period (5500–800 BCE).

Evidence indicates that Koreans and Siberians share common roots. Based on archaeological findings of Scytho-Siberian bronze artifacts, the ancestors of the Koreans probably originated in Siberia and Central Asia, and the existence of iron implements from the same period indicates extensive exchanges with Sinitic (Chinese) iron culture. Furthermore, Korean shamanism is similar to Siberian shamanism. And while the Korean language is distinct, it is linguistically similar to other Altaic languages spoken in Mongolia, Manchuria, and Siberia.

According to the Korean foundation myth, Koreans trace their origins to the founding of Old Choson in 2333 BCE by Tangun. Tangun is said to have been the son of a deity and a female bear who became human after proving her patience and perseverance. The Tangun myth is significant because it points to non-Sinitic origins of Korean culture.

As with any culture, it is impossible to pinpoint the historical moment when a common ethnic or national consciousness was formed. People of prehistoric times did not think in terms of a shared nationhood. Over time, linguistically and culturally disparate groups merged to share a language, culture, and polity. By the time of the kingdoms of Koguryo (37 BCE–668 CE), Paekche (18 BCE–663 CE), and early Shilla (57 BCE–668) CE), there was a clear sense of the peninsular peoples as being ethnically distinct from their Chinese neighbors. It was, however, not until the Unified Shilla kingdom (668–935) or the Koryo kingdom (918–1392) that the peninsula became unified. Unified Shilla controlled only the southern two-thirds of the peninsula, leading some to argue that the peninsula was not unified until Koryo extended the border northward. Unified Shilla, however, is to be credited with achieving linguistic, cultural, and political unity within its own borders.

The official adoption of Buddhism by Koguryo in 372, Paekche in 384, and Shilla in 534 helped each kingdom unite its people. Buddhism adopted some of the indigenous shamanic deities and bolstered royal authority by bestowing on kings religious and social legitimacy. There were many religious observances to ensure longevity for the king and kingdom. Religious architecture and artwork, especially sculptures and statues of the Buddha, flourished. Agricultural festivals had tremendous social, recreational, and religious importance. Today, Buddhism is still the most popular religion among South Koreans.

Confucianism is another important facet of Korean culture, past and present, in both Koreas. The Choson dynasty (1392–1910) became thoroughly Confucianized by the mid-seventeenth century (albeit a Koreanized form of Confucianism). Social order or hierarchy is a key aspect of Confucianism, characterized by patriarchy, respect for one's elders, and great value placed on education and position. These ideals are upheld in both Koreas today. For example, the symbol of the (North) Korean Worker's Party includes not only the hammer and sickle, but also the calligraphy brush, to signify the intellectual alongside the laborer and farmer. Patriarchy is embodied in North Korea's reverence for their two leaders, Kim Il Sung (1912–1994) and Kim Jong Il (b. 1941).

Nationalism is another key feature of the Korean people. In North Korea, nationalism is seen in the juche (self-reliance) ideology. In South Korea, there are different kinds of nationalism, such as conservative nationalism, minjung (people's) nationalism, and ultraconservative nationalism. Nationalism has been a democratizing force in South Korea, advocating national autonomy and reunification. The tendency to place nationalism above all else has upheld the interests of the elite and the state, marginalizing issues of class, gender, and region. Regionalism falls along provincial boundaries, which echo the earlier borders of Koguryo, Paekche, and Shilla. Regional discrimination was particularly prominent under the Choson dynasty and continues to be a problem today, especially in South Korea.

Koreans also share a sense of loss and longing called han. The loss of Korean sovereignty to Japanese colonial rule (1910–1945), the 1945 division of North and South under a Soviet-U.S joint trusteeship, the formation of separate states in 1948, and the Korean War (1950–1953) have engendered a strong sense of anxiety among Koreans. Despite recent attempts at reunification, the two Koreas remain deeply divided. For older Koreans, however, there is a strong imperative that they must see Korea reunified within their own lifetime.

Jennifer Jung-Kim

Clark, Donald N. (2000). Culture and Customs of Korea. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Korean Overseas Information Service (1993). A Handbook of Korea. Seoul: Korean Overseas Information Service.

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