Jon K. Chang
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780824856786
- eISBN:
- 9780824872205
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824856786.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
In theory, the Soviet Union offered all nationalities under its borders, at least in principle, cultural and territorial autonomy, education in one’s native language, the right to self-determination ...
More
In theory, the Soviet Union offered all nationalities under its borders, at least in principle, cultural and territorial autonomy, education in one’s native language, the right to self-determination and individual rights which promised equality under Soviet law regardless of religion, nationality, place of origin and language. In reality, they found the Koreans on their eastern borders to be worrisome and problematic. Illegal Korean migrants kept coming across Soviet borders pushing the population of approximately 81,000 in 1917 to nearly 200,000 by 1937. How would the Soviet state offer the Koreans the putative legal, cultural and territorial rights under Soviet socialism? Afanasii A. Kim was one of the first Soviet Korean leaders who had to negotiate between serving the state and his community. In the 1930s, the state, its policies and institutions became more repressive due to geo-political threats (Germany, Poland and Japan) on both the eastern and western Soviet borders. What became of Afanasii A. Kim?Less
In theory, the Soviet Union offered all nationalities under its borders, at least in principle, cultural and territorial autonomy, education in one’s native language, the right to self-determination and individual rights which promised equality under Soviet law regardless of religion, nationality, place of origin and language. In reality, they found the Koreans on their eastern borders to be worrisome and problematic. Illegal Korean migrants kept coming across Soviet borders pushing the population of approximately 81,000 in 1917 to nearly 200,000 by 1937. How would the Soviet state offer the Koreans the putative legal, cultural and territorial rights under Soviet socialism? Afanasii A. Kim was one of the first Soviet Korean leaders who had to negotiate between serving the state and his community. In the 1930s, the state, its policies and institutions became more repressive due to geo-political threats (Germany, Poland and Japan) on both the eastern and western Soviet borders. What became of Afanasii A. Kim?
Jon K. Chang
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780824856786
- eISBN:
- 9780824872205
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824856786.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
From 1918 to October 1922, the Japanese and the FER (Far Eastern Republic) government joint-ruled the Russian Far East. During this period (called the Intervention), several Koreans such as Andrei ...
More
From 1918 to October 1922, the Japanese and the FER (Far Eastern Republic) government joint-ruled the Russian Far East. During this period (called the Intervention), several Koreans such as Andrei Khan (Han), Khan Chan Gol (Grigorii Khan) and Afanasii Kim stood out as Bolshevik leaders. Unfortunately, the Japanese utilized Koreans from the Japanese empire as drivers, laborers, cooks and as support for their troops. Local RFE residents often did not distinguish between Soviet Koreans and the Koreans working for the Japanese. Soviet nationalities policies also did not readily differentiate between Koreans from Russia and those from Korea, China or Japan. Thus, they considered all to have “dubious” or mixed political loyalties. Yet, over five thousand Koreans fought against Japanese troops in Red Army units, as Red Partisans or in their own independent units in the RFE from 1918-1922.Less
From 1918 to October 1922, the Japanese and the FER (Far Eastern Republic) government joint-ruled the Russian Far East. During this period (called the Intervention), several Koreans such as Andrei Khan (Han), Khan Chan Gol (Grigorii Khan) and Afanasii Kim stood out as Bolshevik leaders. Unfortunately, the Japanese utilized Koreans from the Japanese empire as drivers, laborers, cooks and as support for their troops. Local RFE residents often did not distinguish between Soviet Koreans and the Koreans working for the Japanese. Soviet nationalities policies also did not readily differentiate between Koreans from Russia and those from Korea, China or Japan. Thus, they considered all to have “dubious” or mixed political loyalties. Yet, over five thousand Koreans fought against Japanese troops in Red Army units, as Red Partisans or in their own independent units in the RFE from 1918-1922.
