The Trans-National Ties of Koryeoins in Russia to Korea

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국외국어대학교(글로벌캠퍼스) 역사문화연구소
· 수록지 정보 : 역사문화연구 / 38호 / 289 ~ 330페이지
· 저자명 : 임영상

초록

The objective of this paper is to explain how Koryeoins in Russia have been developing the trans-national ties to Korea through collaboration with religious associations (chapter Ⅱ) and NGOs (chapter Ⅲ) since perestroika and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Over the past 20 years, many Korean religious Associations have greatly been interested in spreading the Gospel in CIS countries. I wrote three religious Associations: the Soviet Missionary Association, a group transcending Christian religious bodies which was established in 1985, the Moscow Samil Cultural Center which has contributed to Russia and the Koryeoins' commutniy and the Moscow Wonkwang Korean School founded by Won Buddhism.
The Soviet Missionary Association(founded in 1984) currently has 38 missionaries in 14 former Soviet regions. The Association's principal missions are: first, sending Russian bibles and spreading the Gospel through documents, second, giving Russian language classes and training missionaries, third, sending and supporting missionaries, fourth, organizing and sponsoring missionaries' reunion, fifth, inviting and training CIS church leaders, sixth, evangelizing foreigners living in Korea.
The Moscow Samil Cultural Center is another example of serving Koryeoins. The Center was founded on August 15, 1995 and its Christian missionaries have spread the Gospel through cultural activities. He went to Moscow with about 2,000 books on Korean history and culture. He opened a library which enabled him to meet Russians and Koryeoins interested in Korean history and culture. Moreover, he published a magazine entitled Faith and Life in Korean and Russian. He encouraged Russian and Koryeoin scholars specializing in Korean studies to write articles for the magazine, thus enhancing friendship with them. In this context, Mr. Lee also published academic books and literary works on Korea such as a Russian version of New Introduction to Korean History written by Professor Lee Gi-baek. He has also organized international academic events on occasions of a variety of anniversaries.
Another religion who is as influential as Protestantism spread by Korean missionaries is Won Buddhism. Won Buddhism started its activities in this region in December 1991 and it established the Moscow Wonkwang Korean School, a weekend school teaching hangeul, the Korean alphabet. The Wonkwang Korean School which was opened in 1993 offers a six-semester (three-year) program. The Wonkwang Korean School's special annual events have contributed to the School's fame: the Korean People's Folk Festival(since 1994), the Study Presentation, the Parents' Event.
A large number of Korean NGOs are engaging in a variety of activities designed to help Koryeoins in Russia. I would like to elaborated on the activities of the Institute of Overseas Korean Affairs and the Northeast Asia Peace Movement as examples of such NGOs.
The Institute of Overseas Korean Affairs (founded in 1979) has published its academic periodical entitled The Community of Korean People once a year since in 1993 and it has also organized academic events once or twice a year. In 2009, Mr. Lee Yun-gi, director of the Institute received the prize from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade especially for historical achievement of helping overseas Korean communities (those in Longjing, Yanbian and Vladivostok, Maritime Province). In 1994, the Institute restored Daeseong Middle School, Yun Dong-ju's house and Myeongdong Church in Longjing. For commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Korean government in exile, the Institute built in 1999 the New Korean Village monument at the former New Korean Village in Vladivostok which had disappeared.
The Northeast Asia Peace Movement was born with the project called the “Train of Memory” which was launched commemorating the 70th anniversary of Koryeoins' forced emigration in 1997. The Northeast Asia Peace Movement hosted and sponsored the second Koryeoins' Cultural Day event from October 5 to 6, 2002. It also invited the Arirang Dance Group composed of Koryeoins living in the Maritime Province from October 15 to 28 so that they can meet with Koreans through their tour in 12 Korean cities. The largest achievement of the Northeast Asia Peace Movement would be the opening of the memorial hall commemorating the 140th anniversary of Korean people's immigration to Russia. This memorial hall with its official name being the “Koryeoins' Cultural Center” is larger than any other hall of its kind established by the Korean government for the sake of Korean people living abroad. The Northeast Asia Peace Movement and the Overseas Koreans Foundation invested a total of 4 billion won to build this two-story building with the floor area of 4,000 square meters on the land of 10,000 square meters. This building has a hall which explains the history of Korean people moving to the Maritime Province from the Balhae period up to now. In the future, it will also have facilities such as an educational & cultural center which teaches Korean and computer, a hospital composed of dental, internal medicine, oriental medicine and surgery departments, a multi-purpose theater and Koryeoins' office.

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