permanent exhibition

I am Goryeoin

Kim Jun

I am Goryeoin from Iman Riverside,
far East Russia.
My grandfather
was driven out across the river afar
since the god of Mount Baekdu could not feed him.

More than “Mama” in Russia
More than “Papa” in Kazakhstan
More than “Nana” in Georgia
“Uh mu ni’ is
deep-rooted in my soul.

(*From the poem ‘I am from Chosun” by Kim Jun (1900-1979), who is a first-generation Goryeoin poet. The word for ‘Goryeo’ was ‘Chosun’ in the original copy)

Kim Jun (1900-1979) was a poet and novelist who represented Goryeoin. Since the 1950s, he has published various works, including the short novel “Ji Hong Ryeon” and the long epic poem “Forty-eight People.” In 1964, he was the first Goryeoin to publish a full-length novel, “150 Thousand Incidents”. In 1977, he published a personal poetry collection, “Talking with You” (1977), and in 1985, his posthumous collection of poems, “Breath” (1985) was compiled.

I. Migration and Settlement (1863 -)

To the Maritime Province to Escape Famine and Natural Disasters!

The history of Goryeoin started in 1863 when 13 Hamgyeong-do residents who suffered from famine crossed the Tumen River to go to the Tizinhe riverside and made a living by farming. Facing challenges and livelihood difficulties due to frequent natural disasters, the Koreans at the border region crossed the Tumen River one after another. The population of Goryeoin in the Maritime Province was 10,137 in 1882. In 1904, the Goryeoin settlement increased to 32 villages, and the population increased to 34,399 in 1906 and 59,715 in 1912. Including the 30% who were not counted in the statistics, the number of Goryeoin around 1910 was likely to have reached 80,000-100,000 people. Goryeoin began to live in Vladivostok in 1873. The Korean village "Shinhanchon” in Vladivostok became the center of Goryeoin culture and the Korean independence movement.

Picture -1: Portrait of early Korean immigrants in “Colorful Russia” (1895) compiled at the Russian imperial house. In this book, the lifestyle of the Goryeoin during that time was recorded.


Picture -2: Jung Sun-dal’s family, who were the early immigrants to the Maritime Province. Jung Sun-dal moved to the Maritime Province early and rebuilt his family. Then Jung also worked as a priest in the Russian Orthodox Church. This picture was taken long after he had settled and regained stability after moving. (Around 1922)


Picture -3: Anti-Japanese independence activists Kim Apanasi and Goryoein Social Movement Leaders. In the second row, the second from the left is Hwang Dong-Hoon, the head of the agriculture department of Newspaper Sun-bong, and the fourth one is Han Myung-Se, who exerted effort to acquire Goryeoin state autonomy. The sixth one wearing glasses is Kim Apanasi. In addition, Nam Jun-Pyo and Choi Grigori are also seen in the pictures. (1923-1925)


Picture -4: Choi Jae-Hyung (1860-1920) is an excellent leader who led Goryeoin society in all areas, including unity, education, enlightenment, media, independence movement, volunteer army activities, etc. When Korea was at risk due to the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905, he devoted his life to restoring national sovereignty and the nation. On April 4-5, 1920, when the Japanese army recklessly attacked and killed many anti-Japanese movement groups and individuals (April Massacre), he was arrested and shot dead.

II. Anti-Japanese Movement (1905-1922)

Long live Korean Independence that Resonated throughout the Far East and Siberia (March 17-18, 1919)

The patriots and intellectuals who went to the Maritime Province gathered in Vladivostok, Shinhanchon, and Ussuriysk. Thus, these places served as the center for the Goryeoin Anti-Japanese Movement. When Goryeoins in the Maritime Province heard the news that the March 1st Independence Movement took place on the Korean Peninsula, they were greatly encouraged. Then, on March 17-18, 1919, they read the Declaration of Independence in the name of the National Assembly of Korea, the first provisional government of the Republic of Korea in Vladivostok and Ussuriysk. To spread Goryeoin’s wish for their country's independence, the declaration was written in 4 languages, namely Korean, Russian, English, and Chinese. They printed it at Ussuriysk and took it to Vladivostok to distribute. The crowd held up the Korean flag Taegeukgi and shouted out Long Live Korean Independence as they marched from Shinhanchon to downtown. Afterward, the Long Live Korean Independence Movement spread to Siberia and the Maritime Province such as Spassk, Khabarovsk, Blagoveshchensk, Irkutsk, Omsk, and Moscow.

Picture -1: Declaration of Independence Memorial Gate in Ussuriysk city. This is the March 1st Movement Memorial Gate built in Ussuriysk by Goryeoin to commemorate the 4th anniversary of the March 1st Independence Movement. The Korean flag Taegeukgi and the phrase ‘March 1st Independence Movement Commemoration’ are visible.

The Center of Anti-Japanese Struggle – The Maritime Province

Choi Jae-Hyung, Ahn Joong-Geun, Lee Dong-Hwi, Hong Beom-do, Kim Alexandra, Kim Kyung-Chun, Lee Sang-Sul, and Lee Wi-Jong from Maritime Province

General Hong Beom-do (1868-1943), the Hero of Anti-Japanese Righteous Army Movement

Hong Beom-do was born from a humble background and later became a leader of the righteous army and used outstanding guerrilla tactics. He was a great commander who struck terror into the heart of the Japanese army. Hong Beom-do started the journey of the anti-Japanese struggle in 1894. From November 1907 to September 1908, he crossed the Maritime Province and fought in 40 big and small battles. In June 1920, he defeated the Japanese army at Fengwudong (The Battle of Fengwudong). In October, he led the Korean Independence Corps and made a remarkable military gain by helping the Northern Military Administration Office of Kim Jwa-jin exterminate one battalion of the Japanese regular army (Great victory at Qingshanli). In 1937, he was forced into displacement with all other Goryeoin in the Maritime Province. Then, he worked as the chief guard at Koryo Theater in Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan, and died in 1943.

Picture – 1: Hong Beom-do, his new wife, Lee In-bok, and her child. Hong Beom-do’s first wife and her children were killed by Japanese police and soldiers, and he had been living alone for a long time. (Near Lake Khanka in the Maritime Province in 1929)


Picture - 2: Newspaper article covering the biography of Hong Beom-do and the history of the bust sculpture. (Lenin Gichi November 21, 1984)

General Kim Gyeong-Cheon (1888-1942), the Star of Anti-Japanese Struggle and “Gyeong-cheon-a-il-rok” (Gyeong-cheon Daily News)

Kim Gyeong-cheon is a legendary sergeant who unfolded a heroic anti-Japanese armed struggle at Noryeong, the Maritime Province. Right after the March 1st Movement, he fled to the Maritime Province to bring back the homeland stolen by Japan. He lived a life of consistent dedication and sacrifice for his motherland and nation. From 1919 to 1922, he fought against bandits, the Japanese army, and the White Army of Russia and made a remarkable military gain. Because of this, he became widely known as the legendary General Kim. In 1936, he was oppressed and arrested by the Soviet government without any basis. He served his time in a gulag labor camp in the Komi Republic in northern Russia and died in January 1942. He had a retrial at Soviet Military Tribunal in 1956 and 1959 and was acquitted.

Picture – 1: Kim Gyeong-cheon and his wife Yoo Jung-hwa. Kim Gyeong-cheon returned to Korea after a long time and married Yoo Jeong-hwa. This picture appears to have been taken after 1-2 years, in the spring of 1915, when he returned to Japan after marrying Yoo Jung-Hwa.


Picture -2: In the journal ‘Gyeong-cheon-a-il-rok (1919-1925)’ the life and exile of Kim Gyeong-cheon, the anti-Japanese armed struggle, the love for comrades and subordinates, and the longing for the family who is left in Seoul are recorded.

Picking a Sword instead of a Pen, Grabbing a Gun instead of a Shovel! (1918-1922)

During the time of the March 1st Movement in the Maritime Province, there was the Civil War in Siberia in which Japan was deeply involved. To fight the Japanese invaders who had stolen the homeland, Goryeoin united with Russia’s Red Army here and there and carried out the anti-Japanese armed struggle. The young people protected the Far East. For the independence of the Korean Peninsula, the teachers and students had swords instead of pens, and the farmers and laborers had guns instead of shovels under the command of brilliant commanders like Hong Beom-do, Kim Kyung-Chun, and Han Chang-gul. Goryeoin formed a partisan unit cooperation committee in each village. They raised donations, provided clothing and food, and cared for the wounded patients. Over 10,000 Goryeoin joined 46 independent military units during the Civil War and participated in the anti-Japanese battle. More than 2,000 people died, including civilians.

III. Cultural Movement (1923 – 1937)

From Anti-Japanese Struggle to Cultural Movement (1923-1937)

On October 25, 1922, when the Japanese army withdrew from the Maritime Province, Russia hastily disarmed the partisan units. Although Russia did not forget the sacrifice of Goryeoin, who fought with blood and life to drive out the Japanese army and protect the sovereignty of the Far East, Russia took a firm stance on disarmament, considering its relationship with Japan. In 1925, as Soviet Russia established formal diplomatic relations with Japan, they completely banned the Goryeoins’ Anti-Japanese Movement. Fortunately, the Soviet Union did not oppress the cultural expression of anti-Japanese sentiment. Therefore, it naturally transformed into a cultural enlightenment movement. Many Intellectuals and patriots from the Korean Peninsula entered the newly built Farmers’ School at the collective farm Kolkhoz and instilled a passionate patriotic ideology in the teenagers. Throughout the Maritime Province, there was a national cultural revival. There was a native language newspaper ‘Sun-bong’ in 1923, and Korea’s first national university ‘Goryeo Teachers’ College’ in 1931. Korea’s first Korean Language Theater ‘Koryo Theater’ was established in 1932 at Vladivostok.

Picture -1: Poem of Resistance ‘Trampled Goryeo!’ and the founder of Goryeoin Korean Literature Cho Myeong-hee (1894-1938).
The poem of resistance, ‘Trampled Goryeo,’ written by Cho Myeong-hee, touched the hearts of all Goryeoins in the Maritime Province. As soon as the poem was published, the poem spread widely throughout the Goryeoin Society. Young adult intellectuals, as well as students, naturally memorized the poem. The poem ‘Trampled Goryeo’ became a symbol that best revealed the will of Goryeoin, who aspired to independence for Korea. It was recited even until 1970-80s.

IV. The Forced Displacement and Overcoming Hardships (1937-1953)

Forced Displacement and Ordeals Faced by the National Culture (1937)

On August 21, 1937, Stalin signed the decree of the forced deportation of Goryeoin. The deportation started on September 9th, and 170 thousand of Goryeoin who lived in the Maritime Province, Amur, Zabaikal, were transported to Central Asia by railway. The forced transfer took everything away from Goryeoins. They lost their house and land built with blood and sweat, they lost their families and relatives as they were deported, and they lost their trust overnight. A couple of years before the forced transfer, about 2500 leaders, prominent men, and intellectuals of the national movement were arrested and executed. In the first year of the deportation, 15,000 children, old and weak, died due to cold and endemic diseases. The forced transfer was the greatest tragedy in the history of the overseas Korean people.

Picture -1: Newspaper article “Forced deportation that I experienced” by Goryeoin Korean Literature Critic Jung Sang-Jin (Koryo Ilbo August 24, 2007)


Picture -2: Professor Voytsik and 5 Strangers (1937)
Amid despair of deportation, there was a heartwarming story. 5 foreign teachers from ‘Goryeo Teacher’s College’ in Vladivostok could not leave their cherished students. So, they volunteered to be transferred by the deportation train to Central Asia with their Goryeoin students. On September 10, 1937, the ‘Goryeo Teachers’ College Committee held the Student General Meeting. They first informed that Goryeoins would soon be deported, and the Teachers’ College students would board the deportation train on the 25th. After the meeting, several foreign teachers gathered separately for a talk. Then they told their students, “You are our students. We cannot leave you. We will go with you.” Thus, those who voluntarily followed were the Dean of the College of Education (Jewish), Professor Voytsik - the Doctor of Russian Language and Literature who lectured on world literature and literary principles, Professor Voytsik’s wife, who was a Russian Professor, and Math Professor with another professor. Also, there was a Russian lady who worked in the school cafeteria. She cried and said, “The people who were kindest to me are the Goryeoin. I will go with you.” And she followed them. Despite her family and friends’ attempts to stop her, she took the forced deportation train with Goryeoin students and went to Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan. And she lived with the Goryeoin until the end.

Traditional Culture

The Traditional Culture that had been firmly preserved amidst the Storm of Sovietization.
Traditional food, First Birthday, Wedding Ceremony, 60th birthday party…

Goryeoin has carefully preserved unique traditions, lifestyle, and culture. Of course, since they have lived far away from the Korean Peninsula for a long time with no interaction, what they have preserved has partly gone through inevitable changes. However, deep-rooted traditions like food and rite of passage have been preserved and passed down without altering their original form amid the strong storm of Sovietization. In the Goryeoin Society of Central Aisa, most of the traditional food is made the way it used to be until now. The form and the tradition of the rite of passage, such as Doljabi ceremony, 60th birthday parties, and wedding ceremonies, are passed down without any changes.

Picture – 1: Baby picking the thread among the objects placed on the table and the grandmother looking at the baby. This baby would live a long life (Kazakhstan, 1988)


Picture -2: The bride and the groom having a wedding ceremony at home. There is a well-decorated boiled chicken on the table. (Central Asia, November 25, 1951)


Picture – 3: Lee Nikita and Kim Alexandra's wedding ceremony. There is a well-decorated boiled chicken on the table. (Mangiksi, February 17, 1946)


Picture -4: The old man Kang Tae-hun's 60th birthday party (Samarkand City, Uzbekistan in 1956)

V. Spirit of Korea Blooming in the Wasteland (1938-)

The Grass Roots and Hardworking Heros have turned Wasteland into Fertile Soil (1938-)

Once the Goryeoins were deported to Central Asia, all they could see were swamps, fields of reeds, and salt flats. However, they didn’t give in to this. In the following year, they cut the reeds, plowed the land, irrigated dry land, and sowed the rice seeds. Goryeoins were better at farming than any other people, and they transformed the Central Asian wasteland, which was unfriendly to farming, into green, fertile land.
With the dedicated hard work of Goryeoin, collective farm leaders, and general union members, Goryeoin's life markedly improved only after a few years of forced deportation. The Goryeoin collective farms with well-established economic foundations provided various financial supports for national leaders and cultural artists to engage in the national cultural revival more enthusiastically without worrying about making a living.

Picture -1: At the 2nd All-Union Peace Defenders Conference held in Moscow, Kim Man-Sam was invited as one of the representatives of the Republic of Kazakhstan in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Republic of Kazakhstan joining the Soviet Union. This picture was taken when Kim joined the conference with 13 representatives. Kim is the one in the middle in the gray suit. (October 16, 1950)

Native Language and Korean Literature preserved in the Ghetto (1937-Present)

Since 1938, the Soviet government banned higher education taught in the native language for Goryeoins. ‘Goryeo Teacher’s College’ reopened the following year after the deportation, and accordingly, all the lectures were delivered in Russian. Thus, the function of the national university disappeared in an instant. Fortunately, the native language newspaper, which stopped publishing upon deportation, was relaunched the following year as Lenin Gichi. There are no major restrictions in continuing the Korean Language Theater ‘Koryo Theater’ established in the Maritime Province, and the legacy of national culture was not interrupted.

Native Language and the Successor of Korean Literature “Koryeo Ilbo” (1938-Present)

“Sun-Bong” newspaper was greatly loved by Far East Goryeoins, but it ceased publication due to deportation. In the following year, on May 15, 1938, it was republished as “Lenin Gichi” at Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan. Being the only native language newspaper for deported Goryeoins’, “Lenin Gichi” played a groundbreaking role in preserving and developing the native language in isolated Central Asia. The newspaper greatly focused on the development of native language literature, discovered various native language writers, and provided a wide range of ground for the writers to work. In 1991, they changed the name “Lenin Gichi” into “Koryeo Ilbo”. However, in that very winter, there was the collapse of the Soviet Union, and “Koryeo Ilbo” went through lots of hardships. However, because of several dedicated people, “Koryeo Ilbo” did not lose its function as a native language newspaper. It has been published until now and stands as a symbol of Goryeoin's native language institution.

“Koryo Theater” the Propagation of Native Language Culture (1937-Present)

Unlike other native language cultural institutions, which went through extreme ups and downs due to forced deportation, “Koryo Theater,” which was established in Vladivostok in the Maritime Province in 1932, was fortunate to continue its activities right after the transfer. During that time, the theater visited many Goryeoin villages and comforted the hearts of the devastated compatriots with their prominent speeches and exciting songs and dances. The theater even took the role of a messenger who delivered the news of the people who were separated from their families during forced deportation. When the oppression of Goryeoin was eased in the late 1950s, “Koryo Theater” enjoyed an unprecedented heyday for over 20 years. It has been established as an organization that represents Goryeoin culture even today.

Picture -1: Goryeoin Korean Newspaper “Lenin Gichi” employees. The one sitting in the middle is the chief writer, Nam Hae-Ryong. (Early 1950)


Picture -2: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of “Koryo Theater,” this is the play “A Living Buddha” (Written by Hanjin) performed in Moscow by the actors and actresses, including Kim Vladimir (the role of Wang Geon), Park Chun-Sup (the role of Won-Hwe), Park Maya (the role of Empress Kang) (Moscow 1982)

VI. Goryeoins in Gwangju (2000-Present)

The Goryeoins have come back to their historical homeland, Korea, and started to settle in the early and mid-1990s. Around 2000, some of the Goryeoins came to Korea to Wal-Gok dong and Sanjung-dong Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, Republic of Korea, for settlement. They first started living in Gwangju with just a few households but gradually increased in number. In 2017, there were around 4,000 Goryeoins (2,869 registered); in 2019, the number exceeded 7,000 people. Revolving around the counseling center (expanded and reorganized into Goryeoin Support Center in 2009) that was opened by Shin Joyasi in 2005, a community has been formed to this day.
In Gwangju Goryeoin Village, several dedicated workers are devoting themselves to many areas for Goryeoins to settle down stably. Some people support financially, some with law, medical treatment, community service, culture and art, media, and so on. Many people from various fields donate their talent, constantly rowing underwater to help the Goryeoin village sail safely. Gwangju Metropolitan City was the first city in Korea to create a ‘Goryeoin Support Ordinance’ in 2013 and began institutional support. Currently, by closely cooperating with the Gwangsan-gu Office, various subcommittees under the Goryeoin Companionship Committee, and other related organizations and institutions, Gwangju Goryeoin Village is powerfully cleaving through the water towards the lighthouse of hope.

Looking Back on the History of the Goryeoin Diaspora

Rice or Book?

[Is it the life of possession or life of existence?]

In 1937, when Goryeoins residing in the Far East were forced into displacement to Central Asia, the majority considered “Rice" the last resort to secure the uncertain future. Therefore, they got on the train with food, seeds, and money needed for immediate physical survival. A few other Goryeoins were convinced that it was the “books” that would become their guiding star in the shadowy night sky. Since then, many years have passed. Those who brought “rice” relentlessly cultivated the wasteland, sowed seeds, and weeded their fields. They had a bountiful harvest, quickly stabilizing the community. Aside from that, they also rendered help to those who loved “books” so that their eccentric fellows would be able to focus on the work they intended to do without suffering financially. The ones who brought the “books” experienced extreme hardship in the early stages of their displacement. However, they preserved Korean literature, native language, and cultural art in an unfamiliar land. They taught their native language at schools, newspaper publishing companies, and theaters. They wrote different works and performed the play. This comforted the weary minds and bodies of the ones who brought “rice” and led them to a desirable cultural community. These two kinds of Goryeoins complemented each other and created the Goryeoin society we have today. “Rice and book,” in other words, “the mode of possession and mode of existence,” were the two main axes of the gigantic wagon that led the Goryeo community. Therefore, if anyone asks, “Rice or Book?” for the forced displacement of Goryeoin and the entire displacement of Goryeoin, perhaps the correct answer should be “Both rice and book!”

As a Kazakh and Goryeoin historical researcher, Choi Arita (1942-2014) was awakened early on to the importance of historical materials produced by the Goryeoin, and she has collected numerous relics since the early 1990s.
When she passed away in 2014, the bereaved politely suggested director Kim Byeong Hak, who had close contact with the deceased, to take over the relic. Therefore, the relics became part of director Kim Byeong Hak's collection. It is very grateful that the relics collected by Choi Arita make the gallery valuable and enriching.