Koreans in Mongolia
Encyclopedia
Koreans in Mongolia form one of the smaller Korean diaspora communities in Asia. They consist of both North
and South Korea
ns.
showed 270 of their nationals in Mongolia in 1997, which more than tripled to 870 by 2003 and then grew again by 72% to 1,497 in 2005. More recent unofficial estimates suggest this number had again more than doubled by 2008, to 3,500 individuals. Aside from residents, the number of South Korean tourists has also shown an upward trend, reaching 40,000 individuals in 2007.
Many South Korean expatriates operate small businesses; the number of businesses in Mongolia funded by South Korean capital was estimated at 1,500 . The various types of businesses include restaurants serving Korean cuisine, karaoke bars
, and even eyeglass shops. A weekend language and culture school for Korean children was set up in 1998 by a local Korean church. Under a bilateral agreement, both South Koreans working in Mongolia as well as Mongolians working in South Korea
are exempted from otherwise-mandatory contributions to the national pension plans of the country they reside in.
signs were ordered to switch them to English or Mongolian only, a situation which South Korean news agency YTN
attributed to growing Mongolian nationalism.
According to Mongolian and Korean media, among South Korean expatriates in Mongolia there are not small numbers of illegal businesses. Among these are numerous South Korean-owned karaoke
bars operating as fronts for prostitution houses (growing from just one in 2002 to an estimated fifty as of 2005), small Korean restaurants which violate sanitation standards, and shops importing of refurbished, poor-quality products to Mongolia. Sex tourism
by South Korean men, often as clients of South Korean-run businesses in Mongolia, has also sparked anti-Korean sentiment among Mongolians, and is said to be responsible for the increasing number of assaults on South Korean nationals in the country. The South Korean Ministry of Gender Equality and Family
have the power to refuse renewal of passports to South Koreans who are arrested overseas for soliciting prostitutes, but this has had little effect on the problem.
for approval in May that year. An open letter from American NGO Human Rights Watch
in August called on Mongolian Minister of Social Welfare and Labor Damdiny Demberel
to ensure that the workers' freedom of expression, movement, and association would be respected; North Korean workers in similar positions in Europe were often denied such rights by their North Korean government minders. The South Korean ambassador described Mongolia's decision to import North Korean workers as "problematic".
entered Mongolia each month, largely by way of neighbouring China
.
As early as 2004, some South Korean citizens' groups had begun laying plans to construct camps in Mongolia to house North Korean refugees; however, they were denied permission by the Mongolian government. In September 2005, South Korean NGO Rainbow Foundation stated that they had been granted 1.3 square kilometres of land near Ulan Bator, and would soon begin construction on a centre which could house as many as 200 North Korean refugees However, during his November 2006 trip to Beijing, Mongolian prime minister
Miyeegombyn Enkhbold denied reports that his country was planning to set up any refugee camps for North Koreans, though he reaffirmed that they would be treated in a humanitarian manner. However, in October 2008, South Korean president
Lee Myung-bak
was reported to have ordered his officials to look further into the possibility of setting up a camp for them in Mongolia.
The Mongolian government does have facilities to provide shelter for North Korean refugees on their territory; in December 2007, Vitit Muntarbhorn
, the United Nations
Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in North Korea, praised Mongolia's treatment of North Korean refugees in an official report, noting that they had made commendable progress in improving such facilities since his previous visit.
Both the Mongolian and South Korean governments' policies towards refugees have shifted several times. In June 2007, Mongolia began to turn North Korean refugees away from their borders, reportedly with the aim of improving their diplomatic replations with North Korea. Similarly, in October 2007, the South Korean side was reported to be "closing the door" to North Korean refugees in Mongolia and Southeast Asia; North Korea watcher Andrei Lankov
, a professor at Seoul's Kookmin University
, attributed this to a deliberate policy by the South Korean government to minimise the number of new refugees.
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and South Korea
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...
ns.
Population and business activities
In 1994, there were estimated to be around 100 South Korean expatriates in Mongolia. Official statistics from South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and TradeMinistry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade may refer to:* New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade* Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade...
showed 270 of their nationals in Mongolia in 1997, which more than tripled to 870 by 2003 and then grew again by 72% to 1,497 in 2005. More recent unofficial estimates suggest this number had again more than doubled by 2008, to 3,500 individuals. Aside from residents, the number of South Korean tourists has also shown an upward trend, reaching 40,000 individuals in 2007.
Many South Korean expatriates operate small businesses; the number of businesses in Mongolia funded by South Korean capital was estimated at 1,500 . The various types of businesses include restaurants serving Korean cuisine, karaoke bars
Karaoke Box
A is a common type of karaoke establishment commonly found in Japan. Karaoke boxes consist of multiple rooms containing karaoke equipment, usually rented out for time periods. A typical karaoke box establishment contains 10-20 such rooms as well as a main karaoke bar area in the front...
, and even eyeglass shops. A weekend language and culture school for Korean children was set up in 1998 by a local Korean church. Under a bilateral agreement, both South Koreans working in Mongolia as well as Mongolians working in South Korea
Mongolians in South Korea
Mongols in South Korea form the world's largest population of Mongolian citizens abroad.-Population:By 2003, there were already 20,000 Mongols working in South Korea, making their population larger than the combined total of Mongolian Americans, Mongolians in Japan, and Mongolians in Europe...
are exempted from otherwise-mandatory contributions to the national pension plans of the country they reside in.
Ethnic conflict and crime
The growth of the South Korean presence has caused some tensions with their Mongolian hosts. Koreans find it relatively easy to learn the Mongolian language; however, they are often perceived as arrogant by Mongolians. In 2005, Korean-owned businesses in Ulan Bator which displayed hangulHangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
signs were ordered to switch them to English or Mongolian only, a situation which South Korean news agency YTN
YTN
YTN is a 24-hour news channel in South Korea. It was founded on September 14, 1993 as a subsidiary of Yonhap News Agency, and began broadcasting on March 1, 1995...
attributed to growing Mongolian nationalism.
According to Mongolian and Korean media, among South Korean expatriates in Mongolia there are not small numbers of illegal businesses. Among these are numerous South Korean-owned karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
bars operating as fronts for prostitution houses (growing from just one in 2002 to an estimated fifty as of 2005), small Korean restaurants which violate sanitation standards, and shops importing of refurbished, poor-quality products to Mongolia. Sex tourism
Sex tourism
Sex tourism is travel to engage in sexual activity with prostitutes.The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, defines sex tourism as "trips organized from within the tourism sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks, with the primary...
by South Korean men, often as clients of South Korean-run businesses in Mongolia, has also sparked anti-Korean sentiment among Mongolians, and is said to be responsible for the increasing number of assaults on South Korean nationals in the country. The South Korean Ministry of Gender Equality and Family
Ministry of Gender Equality and Family
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is a cabinet-level division of the government of South Korea. It was created on February 28, 1998-External links:*...
have the power to refuse renewal of passports to South Koreans who are arrested overseas for soliciting prostitutes, but this has had little effect on the problem.
Migrant workers
As of May 2008, roughly 200 North Korean citizens worked in Mongolia. In February 2008, Ulan Bator and Pyongyang reached an agreement which would allow as many as 5,300 North Korean workers to come to Mongolia over the following five years. The relevant agreement came before the State Great HuralState Great Hural
The State Great Khural is the unicameral Parliament of Mongolia.It is located in the Government Palace.- Structure :All 76 members represents 26 multi-member constituencies, and are elected by bloc vote for a term of four years. The election is only valid if 50% of the electorate vote. Mongolian...
for approval in May that year. An open letter from American NGO Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
in August called on Mongolian Minister of Social Welfare and Labor Damdiny Demberel
Damdiny Demberel
Damdiny Demberel is the Speaker of the State Great Khural of Mongolia.- Education :*In 1960, Demberel finished 10 year secondary school 1 of Khovd city....
to ensure that the workers' freedom of expression, movement, and association would be respected; North Korean workers in similar positions in Europe were often denied such rights by their North Korean government minders. The South Korean ambassador described Mongolia's decision to import North Korean workers as "problematic".
Defectors
, it was estimated that 500 North Korean defectorsNorth Korean defectors
A number of individuals have defected from North Korea. Since the division of Korea after World War II and the end of the Korean War , many people have defected from North Korea, mainly for political, ideological, religious and economic reasons...
entered Mongolia each month, largely by way of neighbouring China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
As early as 2004, some South Korean citizens' groups had begun laying plans to construct camps in Mongolia to house North Korean refugees; however, they were denied permission by the Mongolian government. In September 2005, South Korean NGO Rainbow Foundation stated that they had been granted 1.3 square kilometres of land near Ulan Bator, and would soon begin construction on a centre which could house as many as 200 North Korean refugees However, during his November 2006 trip to Beijing, Mongolian prime minister
Prime Minister of Mongolia
The Prime Minister of Mongolia is the highest member of the Mongolian government's executive arm, and heads the Mongolian cabinet. The Prime Minister is appointed by Parliament, and can be removed by a vote of no confidence.-Powers:...
Miyeegombyn Enkhbold denied reports that his country was planning to set up any refugee camps for North Koreans, though he reaffirmed that they would be treated in a humanitarian manner. However, in October 2008, South Korean president
President of South Korea
The President of the Republic of Korea is, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, chief executive of the government, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the head of state of the Republic of Korea...
Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak is the President of South Korea. Prior to his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction and the mayor of Seoul. He is married to Kim Yoon-ok and has three daughters and one son. His older brother is Lee Sang-deuk, a South Korean politician. He attends the...
was reported to have ordered his officials to look further into the possibility of setting up a camp for them in Mongolia.
The Mongolian government does have facilities to provide shelter for North Korean refugees on their territory; in December 2007, Vitit Muntarbhorn
Vitit Muntarbhorn
Vitit Muntarbhorn is an international human rights expert and professor of law at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.Muntarbhorn, born in November 1952, was educated at Oxford and Brussels, and was called to the Bar in England before going on to lecture in law at various universities in...
, the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in North Korea, praised Mongolia's treatment of North Korean refugees in an official report, noting that they had made commendable progress in improving such facilities since his previous visit.
Both the Mongolian and South Korean governments' policies towards refugees have shifted several times. In June 2007, Mongolia began to turn North Korean refugees away from their borders, reportedly with the aim of improving their diplomatic replations with North Korea. Similarly, in October 2007, the South Korean side was reported to be "closing the door" to North Korean refugees in Mongolia and Southeast Asia; North Korea watcher Andrei Lankov
Andrei Lankov
Andrei Nikolaevich Lankov is a Russian scholar of Asia and a specialist in Korean studies. He completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at Leningrad State University in 1986 and 1989, respectively; He also attended Pyongyang's Kim Il-sung University in 1985...
, a professor at Seoul's Kookmin University
Kookmin University
Kookmin University is a private university located in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, South Korea.Kookmin University currently includes an academic family of 22,000 students, about 800 faculty members and 350 administrative staff...
, attributed this to a deliberate policy by the South Korean government to minimise the number of new refugees.
External links
- Monggol Gyomin Sinmun, a Korean-language news site aimed at South Korean expatriates in Mongolia