Transnational Migration of Koreans and the Ethnic Space in Greater London, UK: Perspectives on Residential Selection and Educational Behavior

Abstract

The appearance of transnational migrants and the characteristics of ethnic space influenced by the new migrants’ residential selection are understood through a case study on Koreans who migrated from the 1980s to the global city of Greater London. The results suggest the following two conclusions. First, Korean migrants in London are highly educated white-collar professionals who aim to study or work in a global city and build international career paths. Their characteristics show that London as a global city stimulates transnational migration, which differs from former labor migration in terms of economic or historic motivations. Second, influenced by the locations of educational institutes, these migrants live in dispersed locations at the central area of the city, or congregate loosely in the suburbs. Because they experience higher education or work in London, they decide their residences according to the locations of their schools or work-places, instead of living close to other Korean people. Unmarried respondents and married couples without children live in dispersed locations at the central area of the city, while expatriates and married couples with children live in suburban residential areas such as New Malden. In particular, the suburban congregation of Korean migrants is strongly influenced by the educational environments of their children.