• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.119-127
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• 2009

The main goal of this research was to understand housing environment as well as the living behaviors of Korean people who reside in foreign countries. This study includes examination of dwelling units, especially focusing on dwelling behaviors by space types, arrangement and use of the space, and the according residence patterns of the Koreans in the United States. Focus group interview method and survey method were conducted; photography were taken as a visual evidence; and results were analyzed by researchers. This study strongly indicates that most of Koreans try to keep their own way of living in foreign cultures and rather readjust the housing spaces and living patterns to their own culture. The results from this study have limitations in generalizing all Korean families living in foreign cultures, because a convenience sample was used. Although studies of Korean families in Columbia, MO may not provide information that can be generalized to the entire population of Koreans overseas, we expect that this study provides useful insight in understanding and estimating the future trends in residential planning for Koreans.