Koreans in Taiwan
Encyclopedia
Koreans in Taiwan numbered 3,158 individuals , making them the 30th-largest population of overseas Koreans, according to South Korea
's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
.
settled in Taiwan, they never formed a significant population. Even with the 1910 onset of Japanese rule in Korea
, Korean migration to Taiwan was minimal; it was only in the aftermath of the March 1st Movement
and the associated economic difficulties it caused that Korean migration to Taiwan became a mass phenomenon. Most settled in Keelung
and other port cities, where they made a living by fishing. After the end of Japanese rule in Taiwan
, an estimated 1,300 Korean soldiers serving with the Imperial Japanese Army
and 2,000 civilians organised their own repatriation to the Korean peninsula
, and by 1946, only 400-500 Koreans were recorded as living in Taiwan.
The incoming Kuomintang
government established comparatively rigid requirements for residence in Taiwan, and so the only Koreans who were able to obtain residence cards were officials and those with skills that would be useful in the postwar reconstruction, such as engineers. Those who remained founded the Korea Association in Taiwan in 1947. Due to the government's policy of discrimination in favour of native fishermen, most Koreans were forced out of the fishing industry, and in to agriculture and commerce; they slowly moved away from Keelung, towards other major urban areas such as Taipei
and Kaohsiung
.
Taiwan's first school for South Korean nationals, the Kaohsiung Korean School, was founded on 25 January 1961, while the Taipei Korean School was founded a year later, on 1 February 1962. As of 2007, the schools enrolled 22 and 50 students, respectively.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (South Korea)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is in charge of diplomacy for South Korea, as well as handling external trade and matters related to overseas Korean nationals. It was established on 17 July 1948. Until 1998, the ministry was known as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; its jurisdiction over...
.
History
Though a few Korean fishermen lost at sea during the Joseon DynastyJoseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
settled in Taiwan, they never formed a significant population. Even with the 1910 onset of Japanese rule in Korea
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
, Korean migration to Taiwan was minimal; it was only in the aftermath of the March 1st Movement
March 1st Movement
The March 1st Movement, or Samil Movement, was one of the earliest public displays of Korean resistance during the occupation of the Korean Empire by Japan. The name refers to an event that occurred on March 1, 1919, hence the movement's name, literally meaning "Three-One Movement" or "March First...
and the associated economic difficulties it caused that Korean migration to Taiwan became a mass phenomenon. Most settled in Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
and other port cities, where they made a living by fishing. After the end of Japanese rule in Taiwan
Taiwan under Japanese rule
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a dependency of the Empire of Japan. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century....
, an estimated 1,300 Korean soldiers serving with the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
and 2,000 civilians organised their own repatriation to the Korean peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
, and by 1946, only 400-500 Koreans were recorded as living in Taiwan.
The incoming Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
government established comparatively rigid requirements for residence in Taiwan, and so the only Koreans who were able to obtain residence cards were officials and those with skills that would be useful in the postwar reconstruction, such as engineers. Those who remained founded the Korea Association in Taiwan in 1947. Due to the government's policy of discrimination in favour of native fishermen, most Koreans were forced out of the fishing industry, and in to agriculture and commerce; they slowly moved away from Keelung, towards other major urban areas such as Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
and Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
.
Taiwan's first school for South Korean nationals, the Kaohsiung Korean School, was founded on 25 January 1961, while the Taipei Korean School was founded a year later, on 1 February 1962. As of 2007, the schools enrolled 22 and 50 students, respectively.
See also
- Chinese people in Korea, many of whom held Republic of China citizenship and came to Taiwan for further studies
- Manchu people in TaiwanManchu people in TaiwanThe Manchu people in Taiwan constitute a small minority of the population of Taiwan. The Manchu people living in Taiwan arrived primarily in two waves of migration. The first wave was during the Qing Dynasty period. During this period, the Manchu-led government annexed Taiwan into the Qing Empire...
- Mongolians in TaiwanMongolians in TaiwanMongols in Taiwan form a small portion of the island's population. Labour migration from Mongolia to Taiwan began in 2004.-History:There were a few ethnic Mongols from Inner Mongolia—citizens of the Republic of China, not of Mongolia—who came with the Kuomintang during their 1949...
- Vietnamese people in TaiwanVietnamese people in TaiwanVietnamese people in Taiwan form one of the island's larger communities of foreign residents. Of the roughly 80,000 Vietnamese workers who resided in Taiwan as of 2006, 60,000 are employed as domestic helpers, 16,000 work in factories, 2,000 in marine-based industries, and the remainder in other...