Why thousands of Japanese-Koreans left for new lives in North Korea



Evergreen Why thousands of Japanese-Koreans left for new lives in North Korea The strange history of Chongryon and the mass exodus to the DPRK Andrei Lankov October 18, 2016 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON An inaugural meeting of Chongryon (the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan) on May 25 1955 \| Source: Naenera This is the first part of a three-part series by Andrei Lankov on how Zainichi Koreans shaped the history of the DPRK. Read part two here. In December 1959, the first group of ethnic Koreans from Japan boarded a Soviet ship in Niigata. The atmosphere aboard was festive, and the ship’s destination was the North Korean city of Wonsan. Thus began the massive repatriation of ethnic Koreans from Japan to North Korea. It continued up until 1984, and between 1959 and 1984 period some 95,000 Koreans moved to what they called the “land of their ancestors.” This massive exodus of © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

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Why thousands of Japanese-Koreans left for new lives in North Korea

The strange history of Chongryon and the mass exodus to the DPRK

Andrei Lankov October 18, 2016

Why thousands of Japanese-Koreans left for new lives in North Korea

An inaugural meeting of Chongryon (the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan) on May 25 1955 | Source: Naenera

This is the first part of a three-part series by Andrei Lankov on how Zainichi Koreans shaped the history of the DPRK. Read part two here.

In December 1959, the first group of ethnic Koreans from Japan boarded a Soviet ship in Niigata. The atmosphere aboard was festive, and the ship’s destination was the North Korean city of Wonsan.

Thus began the massive repatriation of ethnic Koreans from Japan to North Korea. It continued up until 1984, and between 1959 and 1984 period some 95,000 Koreans moved to what they called the “land of their ancestors.”

This massive exodus of

Why thousands of Japanese-Koreans left for new lives in North Korea

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Andrei Lankov

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