The Afterlife of the Korean Dream

The conclusion illuminates the afterlife of the Korean Chinese dream of prosperity and better living through work in South Korea—the “Korean dream”—by capturing the evolution of dreams in Yanbian, China, and the rise of the “Chinese dream.” Competition between the Korean dream and the Chinese dream has become tense, and Korean Chinese struggle to find alternative ways to survive in the fluctuating global economy. In describing a borderland now in flux with different groups of migrants, the conclusion tracks diversified dreams that motivate Korean Chinese to develop new stragegies and take new actions.