Burnt by the Sun. The Koreans of the Russian Far East - Jon K. Chang

120 Chapter 6

studies in institutes and universities in large numbers. The state recognized

this and targeted Koreans by opening new Korean sections in universities

and institutes. Education Sovietized the RFE Koreans, enabling them

to assume cadre positions in RFE cities or the Korean village soviets. One

perhaps unexpected result of the korenizatsiia programs was that the Korean

population became increasingly urban, which promoted a greater use of

the Rus sian language and more contact with Rus sian customs and culture.

From 1926 to 1937, the urban Soviet population (including the NKVD

and the Red Army) increased from 26.3 million to 51.87 million, an in-

crease of 197.1  percent. Vladivostok increased from 103K (1926) to 207K

(1937 pop.).^36 It is likely that a similar percentage of Koreans also became

urbanized. Unfortunately there is no known data on Korean urbanization

pre- deportation.

ORAL HISTORY: KOREAN LIVES IN THE 1930 S

Oral history work with the Korean deportees is one of the most impor tant

sources for constructing a study with nuanced depth and verisimilitude re-

Figure 9. Khabarovsk Koreans, 1932. Evdokiia Andreevna Kim (bottom center, in checkered
shirt) with her classmates from the math or physics faculty at an institute in Khabarovsk
(most likely the Khabarovsk Agricultural Institute). Photo courtesy of Emilia Li (Kim’s
grand daughter), Politotdel, Uzbekistan.