본 연구는 한인 디아스포라와 관련된 거시적 측면의 접근보다는 재외한인의 이주와 적응, 일상 생활사를 중심으로 한 미시적인 접근을 취하여 중국, 일본, 독립국가연합의 국가별 디아스포라의 생활사 내 존재하는 이주와 적응 그리고 그 속에 잠재하고 있는 국가별 특징과 의미들을 도출하고자 하였다. 이를 위하여 본 연구에서는 2012년 1월부터 2013년 8월까지 중국, 일본, 독립국가연합의 현지조사를 수행하였으며, 65명의 연구참여자를 대상으로 심층면담과 참여관찰을 수행하였다. 수집된 자료의 경우 질적자료분석 컴퓨터 프로그램(Computer-Aided Qualitative Data Analysis Software: CAQDAS)인 NVivo를 통해 코딩과 자료분석이 수행되었으며, 이론적 틀의 경우 근거이론의 Strauss & Corbin 패러다임 모형을 적용하였다. 이를 통해 중국, 일본, 독립국가연합 한인 디아스포라의 생활사의 특성과 차이점을 확인 할 수 있었다.

The literature on the Korean diaspora in China, Japan and the CIS (Commonwealth Independent States) is mainly concerned with ethnic or nationalistic incidents or historical figures, thus ignoring in-depth exploration and discussion of ordinary lives of those Koreans. In this respect, this study is focused on the illumination of routine lives among the ordinary Korean diaspora, over coming limitation of the previous literature drawing only upon the literature studies. Instead of the macroscopic approach to the Korean diaspora, this study chose a microscopic approach with an emphasis on life histories of the Korean diaspora regarding their migration and adaptation process in China, Japan, and the CIS. More specifically, we tried to derive the meaning and characteristics of each country where the ethnic Koreans has pursued their lives thus far. For the analysis, we conducted field surveys in China, Japan, and the CIS from January, 2012 to August, 2013. In addition, in-depth interviews and participant observation were carried out with 65 ethnic Korean participants. Data of life histories were analyzed by NVivo, computer-aided qualitative data analysis software. The result of the study, in which the Strauss and Corbin`s model was applied as a theoretical paradigm, shows the differences and similarities among the ethnic Koreans overseas in terms of the characteristics of their life histories in China, Japan, and the CIS. In particular, participants in China and Japan show a similar pattern in daily lives of the Korean diaspora. However, contextual factors were more pronounced in the CIS than in China and Japan. This means that diasporic characteristics were more often found in the CIS due to the breakdown of the Soviet Union and the independence of those countries in Central Asia.