An Interview with Student Yona Pak

Interview Audio (in Korean)

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"We Koreans are one."

Yona Pak is a Koryo Saram currently studying at Hanyang University in South Korea. As a Koryo Saram, Yona tries to find her way in modern Korean society while preserving her culture.

Q. Please tell me about yourself.

A. My name is Yona Pak and I was born in South Korea. My parents are ethnically Korean (Koryo Saram), but my mother is from Sakhalin and my father is from Uzbekistan. Although most Koryo Saram like me have originally Russian names, I have a Korean name [박연화] because my grandmother used to be a Korean teacher in Uzbekistan. I graduated from a Russian School in Korea, and currently attend Hanyang University, studying Tourism.

Q. I heard that you were born in Korea, but what is your mother tongue?

A. My mother tongue is Russian.

Q. How was your experience with school life in Korea?

A. I used to attend a Russian-speaking school, which many Koryo Saram like me attended. But for one year, I tried going to a Korean school to immerse myself more in Korean society. However, because of the language barrier, many students perceived me as a foreigner and I had a hard time getting along with my classmates. Since that experience, I’ve returned to my Russian school and went there all my school life. To this day, because I am mostly surrounded by this mixed culture of Koryo Saram with my family and friends, mainstream Korean culture still feels a bit unfamiliar to me. This was a challenge for me during my first years of university since that was one of my first experiences fully being exposed to Korean society.

Q. What is a misconception about Koryo Saram that you face most often?

A. Many Koreans are not aware of who Koryo Saram are and often confuse the name with the historical period of Korea's Koryo dynasty (when the two have nothing in common). Many Koreans also have a misconception that we are foreigners because Koryo Saram often have Russian/Central Asian nationalities although we are ethnically Korean. When people have this misconception, they also get confused as to why we don't look like others from those countries.

Q. How do you cope with those misconceptions?

A. I always try to explain my historical background briefly, even if it might sound complicated. I tell people that my family and I are from Korea, but my grandparents were displaced to Russia and Uzbekistan so my parents were born there.

Q. Is there a difference between your parent’s generation of Koryo Saram and yours?

A. One of the biggest differences that is noticeable between my parent's generation of Koryo Saram and mine is the culture. The culture of my parent's generation more closely resembles the culture of Soviet Union countries, while Koryo Saram today have more of a Korean mindset and culture. For example, a key cultural value in my parents' generation is collectivism. Everyone treats each other as family and the concept of family has a high value in society. Today, however, as many Koryo Saram move to Korea, they develop a more individualistic mindset, as seen by the popularity of single-person households.

Q. Living in Korea, is there a big difference you notice between the culture of Koryo Saram and modern South Koreans?

A. Yes; there definitely is a big difference between the culture of Koryo Saram and modern South Koreans, especially because we were raised in such different backgrounds. A particular example is the concept of friends. Going to university in Korea, I noticed that here, the concept of friends tends to revolve around people's necessities - people often text their friends only when they need their help, and the value of friendship isn't as great. But in Koryo Saram society, friendship has a great value and friends are usually considered as family.

Q. Of those differences, is there a specific part of Koryo Saram culture that you believe is important to preserve or spread awareness about?

A. I want to preserve the idea that we Koreans are one. The Koryo Saram community is a minority here in South Korea, so I think that we should all support each other to maintain our culture as Koreans.

Q. In your opinion, what are some ways we can preserve this culture?

A. Currently I am a part of various Koryo Saram organizations. Particularly, I serve as the Vice President of the youth department of a community organization called Koryo Saram in Korea. These organizations help preserve our culture because they help expand networks between Koryo Saram communities across Korea. We also help younger generations of Koryo Saram who move to Korea get used to living here by helping with translations. Other volunteer organizations help with translating letters or legal documents coming to Koryo Saram in Korea from abroad. Therefore, I think expanding the number of such organizations will be conducive to preserving the culture of and helping Koryo Saram in general.

Q. While volunteering in these various organizations, are there any issues you have noticed among Koryo Saram communities?

A. Many Koryo Saram move to Korea to find better jobs. Often times, these jobs are based in factories with conditions that aren't as great. So one problem that I have noticed is that young Koryo Saram who live in Korea tend to perceive that when they grow up, they are meant to work in such factories as well, since they've grown up seeing their parents work in factories. The organizations I worked help to solve these issues by encouraging and reassuring young Koryo Saram about the educational and career opportunities they can have in the future.

Reach Yona Online: @pkyo1

Association of Koryo-Saram in the Republic of Korea: @koryosaraminkorea

Koryo Saram Youth Organization: @ks.youthwave