ABSTRACT
The unification of the Korean Peninsula proposed by the government of South Korea to be achieved by the year of 2045 assumes the existence of a common Korean identity that transcends ideological and political differences currently dividing the Peninsula into the two states. This assumption evokes many poignant theoretical and empirical questions about the role of culture in forging a common identity among the people who do not share political values, sentiments, and norms. Is it possible for cultural identifies, such as language or family traditions, to forge a common identity that transcends and reconciles striking political differences? To operationalize this question, we offer an analysis of the Korean diaspora and its identity formation in the historical context of the Russian Far East situated in close proximity to the Korean Peninsula. To guide the analysis, we review relevant literatures in political science and anthropology focusing on cultural identifiers, values, norms and practices, and their role as constituents of an identity.
