A Study on the Migration Phenomena of Korean Repatriates just after Liberation -Focus on Illegal Moving Back to Manchuria and Japan, 1946~1947-

해방 직후 남한 귀환자의 해외 재이주 현상에 관한 연구 -만주 '재이민'과 일본 '재밀항' 실태의 원인과 전개과정을 중심으로, 1946~1947-

  • 이연식 (일본 소피아대학(上智大学))
  • Received : 2018.05.20
  • Accepted : 2018.06.14
  • Published : 2018.06.30

Abstract

The liberated korea has the estimated population 16 million in 1945, and added 2.5 million just after an year. The korean repatriates returned by way of 2 main routes. The returnees, Wol-Nam-Min(former residents in north korea), and repatriates from Manchuria came into south korea over the 38th division line. The other repatriates from japanese islands and pacific areas came into Busan port and the vicinity. The repatriates who returned from the China and the Japanese islands made up about 80% of the total added population. However, the influx of overseas repatriates who explosively increased between 1945 and 1946, declined abruptly in April of 1946, and at last illegal re-emigration group to Manchuria and Japan Appeared, who had repatriated from those areas. This study deals with the "re-migration phenomenon of 1946" in korea, mainly focuses on 1) the motivation for those who decided to remigrate, their prospects of resettlement in Manchuria and post war japan after re-migration, 2) the structural problems of the Korean society in 1946-1947, and 3) the social recognition for the people who letf for Manchuria and Japan. This study proved the cause and background of re-migration phenomenon. The Manchuria case, the local authorities wanted farmers and peasants who could cultivate the abandoned land which had been originally pioneered and reclaimed by korean poor peasants, who repatriated to korean peninsula. On the other hand, the korean repatriates had a hard time in tenanting farmland, and so much difficulty in getting farming tools including fertilizer. That's why they left korea for Manchuria again. The Japanese case, the korean repatriates had a tough life owing to the restriction of properties left in japan, while the inflation and food shortage in korea got worse and worst. Accordingly, many koreans tried illegal entrance into post war japan. This study is a part of clarifying the universality and specificity of post war repatriation and migration issues developed in the south Korea. Through this study, we can find how difficult it is for newly liberated areas to accommodate repatriates and make them ordinary nationals in harmonic way with successful social integration. and we can observe the social aspect and administrative ability of newly liberated south korea in detail, Because the present korea has faced with so many problems connected with immigration workers and re-setting with korean communities abroad, we should introspect these historical experience of our own.

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Acknowledgement

이 논문은 2015년 대한민국 교육부와 한국연구재단의 지원을 받아 수행된 연구임 (NRF-2015S1A5B5A07044372).