• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.540-556
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• 2006

The purpose of this paper is to analyze a process of formation of an ethnic community in the global era, taking an example of foreign workers in Igok-Dong, Dalseo-gu, Taegu. Previous studies suggest that playing a role as a hub of culture, resources and ethnic networks an ethnic community becomes an imagined space where its members can feel "us". Through this imagined space, ethnic people communicate and exchange information with each other and establish transnational linkages between their origin and destination countries or the third countries. In my research in Igok-Dong it was observed that ethnic shops had become the centers of the community of foreign workers and helped them connect with their own ethnic people from wider areas than their residence. Partly because of such networks exclusively focused on their own ethnics, there was little connection developed between foreign workers and locals. A social distance between the two parties may turn into antagonism as the ethnic community grows in number. Since it is foreseen that demands for foreign workers will continue to rise in Igok-Dong it is necessary to seek ways to achieve a more inclusive and harmonious multi-ethnic society for both foreign workers and locals.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.876-891
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• 2014

Previous studies of ethnic enclaves did not provide an adequate explanation of the geographical contexts and spatial implications of industrial production systems, as a result of emphasizing ethnic networks with stagnant participation from geographers. The objective of this study was to identify and examine the formation mechanism of Korean ethnic enclaves through the case of Bom Retiro's Korean garment industrial district in Brazil, specifically by performing an integrated review of the development path of Bom Retiro, the garment industry's production systems, and ethnic networks. The research findings indicated that the formation of this region's ethnic enclave was indeed highly influenced by ethnic networks; however, it was also affected by the development path of the region as a migrant garment industrial district and spatial convergence pertaining to the production systems of garment industries. Moreover, the formation of Bom Retiro's ethnic enclave also involved active participation of non-ethnic immigrant communities and local Brazilians.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.158-170
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• 2013

With the recent 'Creative economy' and 'Cultural prosperity' coming to the fore as a new code to build up a city or a region, it is necessary to focus on strengthening the regional creative capacity as well as developing spontaneous regional culture. In such trend this research aims to explore the Kyunglidan-gil, Seoul, Korea in which creative-class are appearing autogenously in clusters and forming new cultural landscape, to identify the factors of their accumulation and changing aspect of cultural landscape. This study has the following purposes: First, Investigating the historical context of the Kyunglidan-gil's landscape. Second, considering the process of the creative-class being flowed into the Kyunglidan-gil as the subject leading to the modification of the region. Third, their activity was analyzed to consider the unique aspect of forming the cultural landscape at the Kyunglidan-gil. Regarding why the creative-class should flow in, results of the study drew five factors including region in issue compared to inexpensive rents, coexistence with nature, quiet atmosphere seeming isolated from the urban confusion, location possible to test and share individual materials one likes, and a site with synergy effect of activity through the network with acquaintances. Also, five characteristics of cultural landscape forming by the people's activity were drawn - space of communication for increasing creativity, temporary and flexible spatial use, expression of one's identity and taste, distinguishing, and positive use of the existing facilities. Like this, by exposing the 'creative-class', a subject of the leader in changing process of the Kyunglidan-gil, this research identified the aspect of forming cultural landscape.