Managing Diasporic Returns: Contrasting Approaches to Peoplehood and Returnee Integration in Japan and Korea

Postmodernism disrupts modern peoplehood, transforming the modern nation-state, once founded on myths like liberty and equality. The postmodern diaspora transcends peoplehood, challenging governments like those of Japan and Korea. As the world also faces counterforces seeking to restore modern peoplehood (e.g. religious extremism, right-wing nationalism), Japan and Korea must balance accommodating their diasporic populations for the benefit of their market economies and liberal democracies. However, both nations, rooted in myths of ethnic homogeneity, find integration difficult. While Japan has expanded policies to accommodate diverse groups, Korea enforces more restrictive criteria based on identity factors, complicating efforts at inclusion.