Greitens, Sheena Chestnut: Politics of the North Korean Diaspora

The past two decades have witnessed the development of a new phenomenon: a small but growing and globally dispersed population of North Koreans, whose identity is somewhat distinct from previous generations of emigrants from the Korean peninsula, and which is defined in part -- though not in whole -- by the authoritarian nature of North Korea's homeland regime. Many of these individuals have had an important impact on politics in the host countries where they resettle, as well as on the international community's policies towards North Korean security and human rights issues; the North Korean regime also actively works to discredit and deter them from engaging in opposition. Thus far, however, there is relatively little work on the emerging diaspora of North Korean emigres- their destinations, their experiences, their conceptions of identity, and their engagement in and impact on both domestic and international politics. This Element explains the origins and shape of the North Korean diaspora; examines North Koreans' participation in the democratic systems in which they settle and their relationship with North Korea's non-democratic homeland regime; and discusses how this approach sheds light on comparative developments in authoritarian diasporas around the world today.