This article examines what it means to be a Soviet Korean in Alma-Ata, Kaza-khstan.
We argue that much of Korean cultural manifestation explicitly lies
outside verbal expression, and hence, focusing on the implicit domain is important.
As we understand that “Soviet Koreanness” is found in the way people
acquire certain dispositions, sensitivities, and feelings, we have explored such
diverse aspects as non-verbal expressions, sensorial experiences, and rules of
expressing emotions. In doing so, we found that the perceptive dimension of
being Korean is also formed in relation to this symbolic structure. This article
finds a variation in the way the Soviet Koreans relate to and communicate with
other people. This analysis explores the Korean emphasis on non-verbal and
implicit forms of communication and examines their relationship with notions
of personhood, morality, and ethnic identity. Finally, this article examines the
making of “Koreanness” distinguished from that of “others,” especially Russians,
in the context of communicating emotions and using words.