ABSTRACT
Korea experienced vigorous economic and urban growth in the period subsequent to the end of the Korean War and the military-political turbulence associated with it. Economic modernization, compressed in time, combined with a rapidly expanding urban center drawing migrants from the entire country, made Seoul, Korea, a challenging research site for an analysis of migrant adjustment. The origins of the sample of migrants revealed that Seoul continues to draw population extensively from all provinces of Korea. Linguistic and cultural homogeneity, the development of national communication networks, the absence of barriers to inhibit mobility and migration, and widespread knowledge of urban life styles and opportunities were among the features of Seoul which enhanced its appeal. Migrants who arrived in Seoul less than five years before the study were classified as migrants; those who had migrated to Seoul as adults and had lived there for five or more years were classified as long-term migrants.
