Comments on: Gando a’ go-go

By: zoossh

zoossh — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:58:14 +0000

Lee, I’m very curious to know how did Gando remained a Chinese territory throughout Japanese rule? Doesn’t it make it a Japanese territory at that time, the same as it became Chinese territory in today’s time?

By: Lee

Lee — Thu, 12 Aug 2004 07:32:15 +0000

I don’t know if anyone here even checked, Qing Dynasty settled border with Korea during the 1700’s (Yalu River and Tumen River.) The outcome was that what you now call Gando had been reaffirmed as part of China since. That area, as well as the other parts of Manchuria were considered to be birthplace of Manchurians, and therefore all except for Manchus were banned from emmigrate to the area. When famine drove immigrants from Korea to cross the broder in the 1880’s. Qing demanded Korea to withdraw its immigrants. An agreement was later reached that allowed Koreans to own land in the area. Han Chinese were granted entry during late Qing and it has remained a Chinese terrotory throughout Japanese rule until Today. Korean-speaking people in the region are Chinese citizens. Most of them immigrated to the area during Japanese Manchukuo period.

By: The Marmot

The Marmot — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 23:24:35 +0000

I know this is your blog..but don?€™t you dare to make prejudicial judgements with your ?€œReporting?€? like you did up there at the end. The thing is, as you might as well know, the ethnic Korean-Chinese living in Gando area, so called ?€œChosunjok,?€? thinks that they are Koreans, not Chinese.

You’re right, this is my blog, and I don’t take kindly to commentors coming in and telling me what I may and may not “dare” say on it, OK? And my statements weren’t prejudicial — Gando is Chinese territory, and the people who live on that territory are Chinese citizens. This is a fact recognized by both the governments of the ROK and DPRK, and if you have any doubts as to this, compare immigration laws for North Korean defectors (who are recognized as ROK citizens) and Joseon-jok, who are most certainly not (I’m sure North Korean immigration law is similar in this regard). Moreover, having actually been to Gando, I can tell you that your claims that Joseon-jok consider themselves “Korean, not Chinese” are highly spurious. With the exception of those who went to Joseon Hakkyo, most speak poorer Korean than I do, and their ties to either Korea are tenuous at best — just because they are ethnic Koreans doesn’t necessarily mean they give their primary loyalties to either North or South Korea. If you’ve got data in terms of sociological studies of ethnic Korean residing in China that indicates otherwise, I’m willing to listen. Otherwise, I’ll tell you this — if the Joseon-jok were Korean, you’d hardly know it from the way they’re treated both by South Korean diplomatic legations in China and the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Justice here.

And I’ll say it again — if you think it’s a smart idea for Korea to press irredentist claims on large swaths of Manchurian territory, well, I don’t know what to tell you.

By: Ephemeral

Ephemeral — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 08:42:32 +0000

Mr Marmot,
I know this is your blog..but don’t you dare to make prejudicial judgements with your “Reporting” like you did up there at the end. The thing is, as you might as well know, the ethnic Korean-Chinese living in Gando area, so called “Chosunjok,” thinks that they are Koreans, not Chinese.

And Sperwer, I have to agree with you. Only bitterness and resentment will be left. Geographically Koreans were never too lucky.
And speaking of revanchism, perhaps the term is more appropriate for Chinese with added obstinacy?

By: Ephemeral

Ephemeral — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 08:33:52 +0000

“dda” up there… there are maps that has been made from Europe and China that marks the East sea as Sea of Korea, not sea of Japan. Shortly after Japanese government argued on the claims of “Sea of Japan” there was an exhibition of the 17th and 18th century world maps from around the globes in Seoul, South Korea. So there’s nothing to hide or if I may use your expression, “conveniently cut out”

By: Sperwer

Sperwer — Tue, 13 Jul 2004 01:32:28 +0000

The second of the Professor’s remarks, which you find disturning, isn;t at all suprising. Revanchism is a strong sentiment in Korea. What’s disturbing about it, though, is that its strength is inversely proportional to both historuical and present-day realities. Historically, “Korea” [sic] cpuldn;t hold onto the territory, and currently, as Jing observes, they’re not is a position to do anything about it. But they persist in obsessing and whingeing about it, and one wonders where and in what other distorted conduct, that energized ‘resentiment’ is going to surface.

By: Tom - Daai Tou Laam

Tom - Daai Tou Laam — Fri, 09 Jul 2004 17:07:17 +0000

And the Chinese, when it is convenient for them, forget to mention that China in 18th and 19th Century (Qing Dynasty) were ruled by Manchus, not Han Chinese. So it’s not surprising that neighbouring tribes/kingdoms would go to Beijing and give the Manchu emperor tribute money to keep the stronger Manchu armies on base in China.

Oh… and the Han Chinese who invited the Manchu leaders in to clean up the mess of the failing/fallen Ming Dynasty is still considered the worst traitor in Chinese history.

By: Jing

Jing — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 22:58:06 +0000

Ethnic Korean population in China’s northeast - approximately 1 million.

Total Chinese(all non-Korean ethnicities) population in China’s northeast (Former Manchuria now Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning).) - approximately 110 million.

I don’t think Korean claims to Manchuria are going to go anywhere.

By: dda

dda — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 17:23:06 +0000

Conveniently, this map is cropped so that we cannot see how the Sea of Japan is labeled. Could be interesting to figure this one out…

By: usinkorea

usinkorea — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 12:56:52 +0000

Do you remember a few years ago when the South Korean government wanted to extend voting rights
to Koreans in other nations? I believe that was the idea. Voting based on ethnic identity rather
than citizenship. Or it might have included granting them citizenship based on identity.
If I remember correctly, the idea died when someone figured out China might not be too
thrilled with the idea.