Shakuhachi’s perception of Korean-Chinese views on nationality is supported by conversations I’ve had with Korean-Chinese. They were more critical of South Korean attitudes and behaviors which were negative towards China, the Chinese, and Korean-Chinese.

As for Kushibo’s suspicions about flooding minority lands with Chinese settlers, that is the case in Xinjiang and Tibet, but not northeast China. It is mostly outward migration of Korean-Chinese seeking higher paying jobs and a better standard of living in coastal cities, dilluting the percentage of ethnic Koreans in their homeland. One Korean-Chinese couple I knew loved their adopted hometown of Qingdao so much that they named their daughter Qingmei (Qingdao plum).

As for CM’s anti-Japanese tangent, what does this have to do with the topic? Some people will look for any excuse to bash another nationality.

KOREANS

To expound the myth of Koreans and the Altaic-speaking people, most recent DNA analysis needs to be incorporated. Doctorate Li Hui from Fudan University of China had analyzed the DNA of Asians to derive a conclusion that the ancestors of Mongoloid Asians possessed a distinctive Mark M89 by the time they arrived in Southeast Asia. About 30,000 years ago, from the launching pad of Southeast Asia, the early Mongoloids went through a genetic mutation to Marker M122.

Today’s Koreans, in the opinion of Li Hui, would be the mixtures of the early migrants to Manchuria and the later Dong-yi [Eastern Yi] migrants from Eastern China. This certainly dealt a blow to the Korean nationalists’ claim of “Siberian origin”.

To Whom It May Concern:

The story about Nationalistic China will soon come to
an end because there is no truth to any of your
claims. Instead they are THEORIES.

China tries so hard to maintain their political
control over their minorities by covering up the truth
about history. Now they are going as far as comparing
DNA evidence and the origin of Mongoloids? The word
Mongoloid was used in the three race THEORY by a
European who thought that the world only had three
races. Now you are going further by proposing a theory
that is embedded within a theory. Now this is so funny
and amusing. Do you think the rest of the educated
world believes anything you are trying to publicize?

Why dont you do your CHINESE people a favor by saving
time and energy. The quicker you have your people
educated, the better you have a chance to compete in a
global world. I mean, you are wasting time covering up
any truth out there.

I can though, with the rest of the educated linguistic
community, inform you that Korean is part of the
Macro-Altaic family and does share her heritage with
the rest of the Turkic world. The truth is, I have
facts to back up my claim. All you have are theories
about your ignorance and nationalism.

I think the insecurity of your country stems from the
fact that there was no real CHINA. It was always
conquered by a foreign ruler. Oh wait, maybe one
dynasty was ruled by the HAN Chinese?

The Korean community respected how the Chinese
Civilization dispersed and transmitted culture
throughout Eastern Asia. But you are losing your
credibility because you are just plain ignorant. The
Roman Empire gave the Western World civilization, but
all China has to offer now is their plain stupidity.

Please for your sake, learn the facts and move on.
Nationalism and ignorance is soo Old World.

Any questions? I will gladly share with you facts
about us Koreans, in a factual, unbiased perspective.
Yes we are Altaic
Yes, our language is Altaic in origin but has a large
Chinese lexicon,
Yes our history stems from two parts of history:
pre-contact with Chinese culture and post contact with
Chinese Culture. I think you only know about the post
contact with Chinese culture. Oh how convenient.
Yes we are neighboring countries and yet, you do not
even know that our country encompassed the area of
present day Manchuria, which your people still do not
even know that Manchurains existed and still exist. By
the way, just because you print stamps and throw away
anything Korean, does not yet again, erase the past.
We will wait and see the results from the
International Educational Community.

Seriously at this rate, you have more to lose than
gain. You think you can really live in a neigbhorhood
where everyone hates you?

Waiting for a response.

From the New York Times:

The question of admitting women to the line of imperial succession, often presented outside Japan as little more than a curious anachronism, has been growing in importance for the last six months. The issue has been promoted by Japan’s nationalist movement, whose influence has risen along with the controversy.

The nationalists, who offer the public a version of Japan’s past that is cleansed of remorse for World War II, are now putting the issue of imperial succession — and the imperial system itself — at the heart of their appeals.

The opposition to a female line is part of a larger nationalist movement that seeks a tougher stance against China and North Korea, presses aggressively for a revisionist history of Japan’s wartime past, and pushes the myth of Japanese racial exceptionalism. Indeed, many at the rally are the same politicians, scholars and journalists who contend that the Nanking Massacre was vastly exaggerated, that Japan invaded continental Asia to liberate it and that Japan was tricked into war by the United States.

“Search all over the world, but you won’t find any other family besides the Japanese imperial family that has maintained an unbroken male line for 125 generations,” Takeo Hiranuma, a former minister of economy, trade and industry, said at the rally, which was organized by Nippon Kaigi, one of Japan’s largest nationalist groups. “In other words, it is the precious, precious treasure of the Japanese race, as well as a world treasure.”

Historians trace the start of Japan’s imperial system to the fourth or fifth century, though Japanese myth says the first emperor, Jimmu, a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu, began his reign 2,665 years ago. Political heavyweights like Mr. Hiranuma are now stating the myth as fact.

Nobody, perhaps, has symbolized such changes more than Crown Princess Masako, the Harvard-educated, multilingual former diplomat who married the crown prince in 1993. Back then, she represented the new Japanese woman.

Once in the palace, however, she found that only one thing was expected of her: to produce a male heir. She gave birth to a girl in 2001, and sank into a long depression. The crown prince complained in 2004 that there had been a “move to deny Masako’s career and personality.”

Здравствуйте Professor Lankov.

I was almost expecting you to call him ‘Comrade Lankov’.

Well, the answer is obvious (”Not well!”). And these claims are not unnoticed by Moscow which is understandably nervous about the area. After all, Russians are newcomers there, and the circumstances of the 1860 Treaty are, well, very murky. Of course, China is seen as the major problem, due to the obvious historical reasons. However, unlike the Manchurian claims, these “Posiet issues” are indeed raised on the far fringe in Korea. So far, I have not seen any book titled “연해주, 우리 땅”…

Are you sure about that?

I am pretty sure - Korean are wacky, not insane. It makes sense for Koreans to press claims on countries like Japan since there are no repercussions. Of course there will always be a lunatic minority like the flag biter, but I think that the Korean government itself is basically sensible.

Putting aside some emotional wording and a rather biased generalization about Koreans (sorry) used in your posting, I have to admit that I agree with you on two major points.

My apologies, Lankov.

I also think that Korean claims to Manchuria are likely to lead nowhere and that Korea is sliding towards Chinese sphere of influence (seems to be a bad news, but who knows?). Still, from a good old Machiavellian point of view, for the Chinese it would make sense to play safe, and get rid off a potential base of the irredentist movement before it really starts. They cannot build their policy on assumption that Korea will be under sufficient Chinese control in the year 20** when the unification happens. And even allies should be handled with care. Once rather considerable political rights of an “Autonomous Prefecture” are gone, the central auhorities might start quitely encouraging assimilation (much less schooling in Korean, less available outlets to express the Korean identity etc.) and on the present stage the Yanbian Koreans are unlikely to resist such pressure with any vigour. Thus, when in 20** the Korean nationalists will look to the east, they will see great Manchurian plains populated by the Han Chinese only. This is what Beijing needs now.

I have met two 조선족 in my life, so admittedly my experience with them is shallow. However, I did probe for, err, unorthodox ideologies, and they insisted that 1. Korean is their ethnicity, not they nationality or loyalty and 2. That there isnt any discrimination and that the 100 ‘official ethnic minorities’ are all Chinese.

Demographically the battle for Manchuria is already won. Even were Koreans somehow able to take it through conventional warfare or unconventional warfare, what will Korea do with the Han and Man population, which equals the entire Korean population. The take over of Manchuria would lead to an eventual demographic conquest of Korea, unless Korea starts driving people out (logistically and morally difficult). I dont see how Korea would stand to benefit.

Lankov, a Korean claim on Manchuria is never, ever, ever going to happen. Koreans only assert claims on countries that are unlikely to fight back, like Japan.

Are you sure about that?