We often emphasize the historical identity of the Korean people and express our interest in overseas Koreans scattered around the world. However, our such interest has not developed into comprehensive macro-perspective policies. The current policy on overseas Koreans is limited to labor supply and immigration-related affairs. To be sure, it is not that policies other countries have in place for their overseas residents have been always consistent and systematic. Historically, policies from other countries have also shown conflicting stances such as indifference, neglect and economic utilization. However, in a globalized world, it would be difficult to stay in a passive immigration policy regarding the entry and activities of overseas Koreans. It is necessary to support overseas Koreans to work and stay stably in our country, and to support them to live a more flourishing life in the country where they have settled and lived. It should be noted that overseas Koreans are closely connected between the two spaces: Korea and the countries where they have settled.

This means that studies of overseas Koreans need to be carried out in such a way as to connect the two spaces of their country and Korea. It is necessary to study the “life-world” of overseas Koreans in terms of international population movement or circulation between two spaces. The use of the term life-world here means that this study focuses on the labor, consumption and family of overseas Koreans. For example, we should pay attention to the way that overseas Koreans work in Korea to financially support their families in their naturalized countries. Some of them live in Korea with their families. In addition, such population movement may undermine the settlement base of overseas Koreans in the local country. Therefore, this study aims to examine the problem of overseas Koreans from the dynamic point of view : movement between their country and Korea.

However, little is known about the living conditions of overseas Koreans scattered around the world. Except for overseas Koreans in a few countries, little is known about the life-world of overseas Koreans living in many other countries. Moreover, few studies have compared the size, characteristics, and living conditions of overseas Koreans according to common research framework. This is because previous studies have analyzed overseas Koreans, focusing on one or two countries. In the absence of common research framework, it would be difficult to establish a more comprehensive policy for overseas Koreans.

This study was conducted as a multi-year pilot project to prepare an analysis framework for the study of living conditions of overseas Koreans. It suggests that we focused on presenting a research frame to analyze their living world in accordance with the dynamic view of international population movement. For this purpose, our study will examine the living conditions of Korean Chinese, which are the most widely distributed in Korea. But rather than writing their living world in a general context, we tried to focus on the problems that are occurring in China while they work in Korea. Regarding Korean Chinese, our interest is in the problem of poverty and senior citizens and children left behind in China. It means that despite the economic activity in Korea, many Korean Chinese have a lot of difficulties in supporting the families left behind in China. Therefore, we would like to examine how China's social policy is affecting the lives of Korean Chinese.

Part I focuses on presenting the direction and analysis framework of “Research on Overseas Koreans Living.” It defines key concepts such as overseas Koreans, summarizes the policy implications of other countries’ policies, and suggests future research directions. Chapter 2 is a theoretical review where we examine the concept of “overseas Koreans,” the theory of their migration and settlement, their policies and their support policies. By examining the history of the policy for overseas Koreans, we would like to suggest the future direction of the policy. Chapter 3 focuses on the historical changes and recent trends of the policies in Japan, China, and India. Chapter 4, titled “Directions and Tasks of Research on Living Conditions of Overseas Koreans,” presents the research direction, key objectives, and survey methods. In addition, as part of the basic analysis of the countries to be covered in the next several years of research, an overview of overseas Koreans in Russia, Central Asia, and Japan is provided.

In Part II, as part of a pilot study prior to a multi-year study, we would like to analyze the living conditions of Korean Chinese, focusing on their poverty problem. In Chapter 5, we examine in what context “China’s poverty policy”, which affects the lives of Korean Chinese, developed in what context. In Chapter 6, we reviewed the living conditions of Korean Chinese in Yanbian region. We focused on their demographic characteristics, minimum living security systems, leading populations and their medical problems. Lastly, Chapter 7, Living Status of Korean Chinese living in Korea, examined the living conditions of Korean Chinese who work in Korea. We looked at their living conditions in terms of population composition, aging, stratification, poverty, economic status of women workers, and social adaptation of youth. This shows that the life-world of Korean Chinese is dealt with in the circular movement or interrelationship between the two spaces of China (Yanbian) and Korea.

Chapter 8 concludes by presenting the overall research contents, and suggests the direction of follow-up research on overseas Koreans, and makes some suggestions regarding the policy on overseas Koreans.