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Korea — A Nation of Immigrants?
The Marmot's Hole ^ | August 22, 2007 | Robert Koehler

Posted on 03/19/2010 7:10:04 PM PDT by Ptarmigan

More stuff on the need to accept ethnic diversity in Korea, this time from the Korea Herald.

Interestingly, the Korea Herald editorial starts thusly:

Korea’s older generations had been taught to take pride in having an ethnically homogeneous fatherland. Racial homogeneity formed the basis of the 5,000-year history of the nation, which was interrupted for 35 years in the 20th century by the Japanese occupation. So, the national identity of the Korean race was emphasized as the source of power and spirit in the struggle against Japanese imperialism.

Now, this is questionable on two counts. Firstly, it follows the same logic reportedly presented by the Korean delegation to the UNHRC Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, namely, that the Korean concept of ethnic homogeneity and “pure-bloodedness” was born as a defense measure in response to (mainly) Japanese imperialism. The reality may have been more complicated, however — other factors included the popularity among East Asian intellectuals of European racialist and Social Darwinist thought at the turn of the 20th century (see also here) and the adoption of Japanese models by Korea’s post-independence economic and political elite.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; History
KEYWORDS: history; korea; siberia; threekingdoms; yakutia
From the article:
Lee Hun-beom points out that the Hwasan Lee family isn’t the only such example. The Gimhae Heo family trace their lineage back to King Suro of Geumgwan Gaya and his Indian wife. The Deoksu Jang family, meanwhile, are the descendants of Jang Sun-nyong, a Muslim Uyghur attendant to a Mongol princess sent to marry the the Goryeo king. Yi Ji-ran, a general who served as Yi Seong-gye’s right hand in the establishment of the Joseon kingdom and progenitor of the Cheonghae Lee family, was a Jurchen. Then there’s General Sayaga, one of Kato Kiyomasa’s commanders during the Imjin War, who liked Korea so much he decided to defect to the other side (bringing with him matchlock technology). He was eventually granted the Korean name Kim Chung-seon of the Gimhae Kim clan.
1 posted on 03/19/2010 7:10:05 PM PDT by Ptarmigan
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To: Ptarmigan
Then there's the day sometime in the mid 500s when a bunch of Yakuts rode in from Siberia (from Yakutia) and conquered the place in a few weeks. They went on to conquer Japan (a good part of it in the South) a few years later.

They definitely spread some good will!

BTW, they'd only been back in Yakutia about 200 years. They'd had an extended stay in India that lasted at least 500 years. As conquerors there they had their way with the local girls and brought "large breasts" into the tribe to stay. These later on showed up in certain Korean families AND, voila, among certain Japanese families.

In an earlier time this particular bunch, once again in Yakutia (their on again/off again homeland grazing range) took trips to the Arctic ~ you can trace the Eskimos to some of their clans. They also took trips to the Americas. Na Dene people may well be pretty much Yakuts.

Worth noting ~ Buddha was a Yakuts (or Sakha as they are also known).

More recently DNA studies have pretty much linked them to a degree with the Sa'ami ~ thus explaining why the Sa'ami and the Eskimos have some of the same genetic differences that make it possible for them to live in the Arctic.

It is quite easy to laugh at the Korean and Japanese claims to homogeneity!

Let me do so: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

2 posted on 03/19/2010 7:21:57 PM PDT by muawiyah ("Git Out The Way")
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To: muawiyah

We Polish are completely Polish! Never had any problems with invaders! (sarcasm).


3 posted on 03/19/2010 7:29:46 PM PDT by Gapplega
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To: muawiyah

Yakut that out! ;’)


4 posted on 03/19/2010 7:42:19 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (http://themagicnegro.com/)
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To: muawiyah

Any DNA evidence to corroborate that? I think it’s too far-fetched.


5 posted on 03/19/2010 8:01:48 PM PDT by James C. Bennett
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To: James C. Bennett
Any DNA evidence?

Sure. Even your MtDNA studies show that the origins of East Asian populations arrived from darned near everywhere.

Don't forget that the Silk Road brought Westerners East and Easterners West, and there was always a trade in wimmin!

6 posted on 03/19/2010 8:08:48 PM PDT by muawiyah ("Git Out The Way")
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To: James C. Bennett
The history of the Yakuts was just recently retrieved from the ashbins of history when Russian archaeologists figured out how to read them. They'd somehow lost knowledge of how to read and write their language, but they kept the books.

It was quite an exciting history and illuminates a vast dark period.

7 posted on 03/19/2010 8:10:22 PM PDT by muawiyah ("Git Out The Way")
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To: SunkenCiv

Of possible interest.


8 posted on 03/19/2010 8:15:06 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar (*)
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To: Ptarmigan

Korean Cinema is awesome.


9 posted on 03/19/2010 8:19:33 PM PDT by MattinNJ (Thompson/Palin)
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To: Ptarmigan
About the only human populations of "pure blood" are those that have been in isolation for a long, long time, and there are hardly any of those left--they won't stay homogeneous for long.

That said, hybrid vigor is a good thing. The race purists don't know much about genetics.
10 posted on 03/19/2010 8:23:16 PM PDT by Nepeta
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To: MattinNJ
Korean Cinema is awesome.

Yes, it is. I share my Asian DVDs and VCDs with friends who are willing to read subtitles. Americans miss a lot of good movies because they are not dubbed in English.
11 posted on 03/19/2010 8:26:25 PM PDT by Nepeta
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To: Nepeta
Scandanavian movies are my favorite. Inheritance, After the Wedding, and Brothers to name a few.

Germany has put out some awesome movies- Lives of Others, The Tunnel,and the Counterfeiters.

I have a huge collection of foreign DVDs. Far superior to the crap Hollywood puts out.

12 posted on 03/19/2010 10:25:56 PM PDT by MattinNJ (Thompson/Palin)
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To: MattinNJ

Taegukgi was good. It is like Saving Private Ryan, but in the Korean War.


13 posted on 03/21/2010 5:36:58 PM PDT by Ptarmigan (God Hates Bunnies! Bunnies=Nature's Freaks)
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To: Ptarmigan

Agreed-one of my favorites. Amazing considering the budget they had.


14 posted on 03/21/2010 7:16:25 PM PDT by MattinNJ (Thompson/Palin)
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