By David A. Tizzard
Korean racism must be understood differently from Western racism. Things here are a complex intermingled product of colonial history, postwar American influence and continued military presence, rapid economic development, compressed modernity, and a form of patriotism that emphasizes its perceived ethnic homogeneity.
In the 21st century, Korean national identity is often still seen through an ethnic lens rather than a legal or cultural one. Thus despite many non-Koreans being legally accepted by South Korea, when seen through the prism of nationhood they are commonly regarded as others.
The adopting of an ethnic identity for nationhood is not unique to Korea nor is it a binary distinction. Research by Zeljana Zmire for example points to the fact that the Korean ethnic identity is stronger than its German counterpart but weaker than that which manifests in Japan. Gil-soo Han s work on nouveau-riche nationalism in South Korea suggests that the ethnic nationali