This research focuses on Korean migrants who were initially dispatched to Germany as temporary coal mine workers in the 1960s and 1970s but chose to remain in Germany or relocate to Canada after their initial contract was over. The study analyzed thei ...
This research focuses on Korean migrants who were initially dispatched to Germany as temporary coal mine workers in the 1960s and 1970s but chose to remain in Germany or relocate to Canada after their initial contract was over. The study analyzed their (re)migration motivations and routes, socioeconomic adaptation processes, and elderly life conditions in Germany and Canada. This study takes a life history approach as the global migration of Korean miners occurred over a relatively long period of time. Methodologically, interview data were collected from 54 Korean ex-miners in their late 60s to early 80s both in Germany and Canada.
The study’s findings are as follows. First, it contributes to a multifaceted and in-depth understanding of the understudied migration and settlement processes of these members of the Korean diaspora by shedding light on their experiences of global mobility. Korean ex-miners chose to remain in Germany after their three-year contracts because of their marriages or a lack of career opportunities in their home country. As was the case with their first migration from Korea to Germany, Korean ex-miners undertook a secondary migratory movement from Germany to Canada in order to seek better economic opportunities than those available in Korea. Interviewees also decided to move to Canada partly because it was relatively easy for them to obtain Canadian immigration or travel visas at that time. The transnational migration networks forged among mobile Korean miners shaped their migration and resettlement experiences in Canada.
Secondly, the project outcomes were enhanced by oral history data and community records collected during field research. Both served as significant historical resources on formative periods of Korean-German and Korean-Canadian communities. Using concrete and empirical data, the study discovered the miners’ critical and unique contributions to the early-stage Korean communities abroad. Koreans initially dispatched to Germany as miners paved the way for the formation of the German-Korean community and were also dispersed to other European or North American countries. Korean mining workers who remained in Germany left the mine area where they worked because they married Korean nurses, found new jobs, or moved to another city in Germany. As was the case in Chicago and Los Angeles, the first Korean restaurants and grocery stores established by ex-miners laid the foundation for the construction of Bloor Koreatown in Toronto. One of the most noticeable characteristics of Korean Canadians’ economic activity was their high rate of their involvement in convenience stores. Many of the interviewees operated or managed convenience stores. Furthermore, Korean ex-miners played critical roles in the early formation and development of the Ontario Korean Businessmen’s Association (OKBA). The activities of the OKBA have greatly contributed to Korean Canadians’ engagement in convenience store businesses. Ex-miners actively participated in the Korean Canadian community, contributing to the Korean Canadian Association and various other Korean organizations.
Thirdly, by conducting empirical surveys on the living conditions of aging Korean ex-miners in Canada and Germany, basic data was produced to make policy suggestions for the elderly Korean population abroad. In both countries, most of the interviewees live with their spouses, and their adult children live elsewhere. While some continue to run their own businesses or work as employees of Korean companies, most of them are retired and live on pensions. Infrastructure, welfare facilities, and designated spaces (e.g., Koreatown) for Koreans, especially the elderly, are insufficient in Germany, as the total number of Koreans is relatively small compared to the sizable Korean communities in North America. At the 20th National Assembly plenary session held on May 20, 2020, the Act on Support and Commemoration Projects for Miners, Nurses, and Nursing Assistants was passed. This bill mandates a survey on the current state of ex-miners worldwide and the preparation of support measures. I hope that the collection and preservation of historical data on these dispatched workers will be further promoted alongside relevant academic activities.
The researcher has used a newspaper article, conference presentation, and forthcoming academic journal article to foster interest in the theme of the present study and spread its findings among Koreans overseas in addition to migration and diaspora scholars. The previous research on ex-miners in the U.S. conducted in 2018 has been developed and extended into the present study on ex-miners in Canada and Germany. Building on this study’s findings, the global migration of Korean nurses can be further explored. The data accumulated from this phased research can be compiled and published as academic books on the subjects of the global migration and settlement of Korean ex-miners and ex-nurses, the Korean diaspora, and the phenomenon of re-migration.