Correction: At the time of the event described at 36:59, my grandmother was not 9-11 years old but 7-8. So it was even worse for her. Thanks for watching!

I am Japanese living in Tokyo. I had heard of the abandonment of Korean people from Sakhalin when Japan lost the war, but I did not know this detail. As you rightly pointed out, some Japanese may deny your family history, but some people are willing to listen and learn more. Thank you very much for sharing. Also, on behalf of Japan, I am sorry for what your family went through due to Japanese Imperialism.

Thank you for explaining your story, I am a Russian Korean and live in America. I can't ask my family about it because they stay very quiet and don't like to talk about their past because it's very hard for them.

I think you did well by sharing those stories, now more people know about part of an unwritten history, spread the truth!

Thank you for this video. I am a Korean adopted out of Sakhalin island. I love hearing other stories of Koreans from Sakhalin island since my family is not Russian or Korean. Thank you!

it is absolutely stunning how much you know about your family!! I am Chinese Korean, My dad's side is 100% south korean. but my mom is chinese's korean minority group, so her ancesters probably imigrated to china from north korea in the earlier days. Sadly I never get to know so much about my family's history like you do. And it's also sad that it is the first time ever in my life that i hear about the story of the sakhalin people. People should know about these kind of history. Thank you so so much for sharing, it is really meaningful!

Thank you so much for sharing. I'm a huge Russian history nerd and recently I've been learning about Korean history but this is something I knew very little about. I knew that Koreans moved to Russia during WWII but never knew how, why, or what happened after. This video will definitely make me research more into not only the Sakhalin Koreans but about Korea during WWII. Stories shared through families are the most impactful things, they share what actually happened and not what a textbook thought was important. My great-grandfather fought in the Korean war (I'm American) and he didn't talk about his experiences during the war until 6 months before he died, even then he wouldn't say much. I wish I had been older so I could have asked and learned more. But I'm glad that you are sharing this knowledge to so many others so that it isn't forgotten.

This story Was absolute gold for those who love history like myself. I always love learning about korean history. That was very traumatic but thanks for sharing. I have a deep respect for the elder generations who have endured so much suffering and hardships throughout the life. It is a reflection of us the newer generation developed and conditioned to be in present times.

Спасибо за то, что ты делишься такой личной информацией! Было интересно узнать историю твоей семьи и про ужасы тех времён..

I am Russian Karelian, an endangered species. Our main problem is we aren't too different to Russians in looks, so most people just think you're Russian lol, both in RU and other countries. We *pass as russians* LOL. I've had Russian Korean friends growing up in the nineties Karelia. And Russian Korean bosses in my early working life. Very cool people with their own ethics, own cuisine, own family culture. All the best to you and other Koreans

My wife's Father's family was not allowed to leave Sakhalin Island after WWII. He and his father were allowed to leave. It was over 40 years before he was able to see his mother again. My wife's Father's sister did eventually immigrate to the US with her family, and my wife was able to meet with her cousin who now also lives in California. My wife still has family living on Sakhalin, and I believe in Russia. And they do speak Russian.

This is really sad, but I’m glad you’re passing on this knowledge! We should never forget.

WOW! Thank you so much for sharing your family story in detail. You're right that part of history and people are forgotten due to inconvenience - I'm so glad you share :).

Thanks so much for sharing your family’s history and also the historic past! Thank God for protecting your grandma and your family!

Wow thank you for sharing something so personal to you. I could understand if this was somewhat difficult to talk about. I am much more educated about this topic now, and loved learning about your family history!

Hey, thank you for sharing this story, actually my ethnography teacher showed this video during class so that we get an idea of russian-koreans and it was really helpful and interesting!

The story that your grandmother told is so heartbreaking, I knew that during those times things were unbearable for many because of war. I’m thankful you shared your family’s story. You’re right if the history isn’t recorded then it “never happened,” which is unfortunately true. Good thing in this generation things are calm and hopefully they stay that way! Best wishes to you and your family ❤️

Thank you for telling your story and the story of the Sakhalin Koreans. I still hope to visit the island someday.

Thanks for sharing this in internet... Was really informative for me, and I think is necessary to share

Your story sounds very familiar. My grandparents on my father's side met and married in Sakhalin and had two of several children there, one being my father. They moved to Sakhalin willingly to make a living/money which also started from working in the coal mines. So from what I've learned about the Sakhalin-Koreans and Japanese policy after their WW2 surrender the Japanese allowed all ethnic Koreans who were brought to Sakhalin by force to move to Japan proper. Apparently my grandfather lost most of his money somehow and they decided to leave to go back to his hometown in Korea two years before the end of the war. It was a blessing they left when they did, if they stayed they would have been stateless for decades like most of the first generation of Sakhalin Koreans. I would probably still be there in Russia too, if that was the case; I mean "I" in a figurative sense as in my father's child from a different mother would still be there, instead I'm a born and raised Korean Canadian living in the US. The Russian invasion of the Japanese territories of Manchukuo, which includes Southern Sakhalin, that you spoke of was part of the final days of WW2. Operation August Storm was the name of that Russian campaign. I learned a lot from this video, thank you.

Very interesting. Wasn't familiar with any of this before. Keep up the good work.

You rock Zoya! Love your channel and stories. I'm really interested in the history of Korean migrants in the early 19th century and actually planning to make a trip out to Vladivostok when travel is back to normal. But your video kind of makes me want to go out to Sakhalin and explore the island! Thank you for sharing the story and I hope you would also make some videos about what it is like living in Korea as a Korean Russian expat who could easily pass off as a Korean American :) Take care.

Thanks for sharing this fascinating story of your family. It must have been so heartbreaking for your grandparents to loose many children on top of living a hard and impoverished life. Your dad must be really strong. In fact your whole family are survivors and sound strong!

Thank you. Very informative!

It’s so important you tell this story. I am intrigued!

Hi Zoya, so glad you shared this story. My family itself are “ethnic Koreans,” although I truly do not like that term. You inspired me to also make a video about this, so the history is not forgotten.

love this!! keep up the great work

Thank you for this, Zoya. I will share this video! Young generations of Koreans need to know. The world needs to know!

I came looking for LoL lore videos but I got some geography and history knowledge! Thank you for sharing!

Hey Zoya, Thanks for sharing so much of your family history :) I am korean russian currently living in the states. My mom grew up living in Sakhalin and we have a lot of family in Uzbekistan because at some point koreans were displaced there by the soviet union apparently? I haven't heard about any of the history about how they ended up there and my grandma never shared much of her past, so this was so interesting to hear about!

Zoya, Thank you for sharing, ALL HISTORY, unfortunately, are not generally known. Personally, I fell you are doing a great service to us by sharing your personal experience so that we become aware of and can gain further knowledge.

Thanks for sharing your story. More people need to know about these forgotten history.

much love from a korean american, this was an enlightening video about the korean diaspora we dont hear about too much.

Respect. You know a history of your family well.

Truly amazing history. Thank you for sharing

Thanks for the very informative video! I am doing a presentation on the Korean war and I think I'll mention the Korean diaspora at the end (including the Sakhalin Koreans.)

Hi, Zoya 👋 I am from Indonesia and you're story is kinda similar with Dutch East Indies citizen from Sumatera & Java island who got displaced by the Dutch to Suriname and South Africa during imperialist time (but not WW 2). But the different is, some of the Javanese are brought by the Dutch to Europe, but not returning them to Indonesia government. So I kinda sad to know that this historical moments also happen to other people in other countries. Other than that, I loved to know that there's Russian Korea youtuber 😃😍 Most Russian youtuber I know is mostly Slavic or European descendant. I hope you keep uploading videos and hopefully you got 1 Million subscribers 🥰

I feel people will be people, in all of their brokenness, and their nations will do unto other nations. This is why Korea has to be strong, so that they are not devoured by other nations again. Thank you for telling your family's story. I don't know how this video came up on my feed, but I'm glad that I had a chance to hear what it was like for your family and the journey they took. I had to watch the follow-up video to see why your English is flawlessly Californian, with a touch of Southern Cal Asian American. Pass the stories onto your children. I hope they tell these stories to their own children, with sorrow and horror diminishing with each generation's telling, and with greater acknowledgment to He who brought them safe thus far.

A fascinating story! I knew about the "Karufuto" Koreans - and their ordeal - but your direct, honest testimony is so compelling, absorbing - and important. Of course you aren't anti-anyone, you are articulate, persuasive and sincere. And what a story you have to tell! Thank you.

There's so many Koreans in Russia. I know that one of grandfather's cousins ran away to Russia to avoid forced conscription to Japanese army during Japanese forced occupation time in Korea. It is a sad story for us too because we never heard back. Ties were broken as even after Korea was freed from Japan's Imperial army, we had our own struggle after-Korean war and division of Korea, hence anti-communism followed through and we lost contact with those who went to communist countries.

I've been curious about Sakhalin Koreans. Thank you for your explanation.

Thank you so much for sharing ❤

Wow thank you for sharing your family's story. If you didn't make this video, we would have never known about this stuff. It is devastating to hear that koreans had to experience this kind of cruelty, but of course we should never blame the present japanese or russians for their ancestors' actions. Korean history is overall sad. Glad they are prospering in south korea after all those hard times.

Thank you for sharing your family’s history…so many diaspora of Joseon Koreans during occupation…some even far as Mexico and Cuba…thank you…heart-rending story of casualties of war…I am in tears…please…a book with your family’s history…

Interesting stories 😉

About that left handed thing, I am as well. Both my grandmother and mother were “corrected” as children. It’s just another one of those things in Korea where fitting in is so important. I escaped it bc we were in the US and my mom decided I didn’t have to. I’m grateful for that

Wow. The most fascinating video I've seen in years... Have you ever been to the Tenement Museum in NYC? Watching this felt like walking through that museum. And to think I just happened to stumble upon this video from going down a wikipedia rabbit hole... news today led me to US withdrawing from Afghanistan to minorities in Central Asia to Uzbekistan to Koryo Saram to Sakhalin Koreans to you. As a 2nd generation Korean-American, I can only barely relate, but you've definitely inspired me to learn about my own family's history. Thanks a million for sharing your story.

Hi Zoya! Thank you for sharing 할린 history and your family experience in Sakhalin Island. I'm a STEM major but I recently got interested in Koreans in different countries and took a Korean diaspora history course! I learned about 고려인 but never heard of 할인 in my class.. It was very sad to hear how 할인 were a victim of Japanese imperialism and I cannot imagine what your grandmother went through especially at the bombing of the train station. I'm very glad that your grandfather was able to go back to korea! Actually my family is from 부산 but we now live in US. I plan to visit Russia and I guess now Sakhalin Island after I finish my graduate studies. Can you please recommend where I can find korean communities in Russia and Sakhalin Island? I'm also really interested in how Koreans in Russia adapted korean cuisine! If you have time, I would appreciate if you upload a video on korean russian cuisine 😁

your experience is very special ... God bless you and your family

Heart wrenching. My only hope is that that the South Korean media or Korean-Americans with influence pick up this story and document the silent atrocities that occured.

A lot of Koreans were relocated to Manchuria as well along with many Japanese. After the war, because Korea was no longer a Japanese colony, the Koreans remained while all the Japanese were sent back to Japan. Interesting history for sure. Thanks for sharing.

Wow,what a nice surprise!HEllo from Korea,I'm Russian Korean too,and my father is also from Sakhalin island.Thanks for the very inspiring video!

Great story! I was always curious about Russian Koreans, but I never properly researched how they came to Russia.

So interesting! Thanks for Sharing! btw best boxer rn is russian korean

Amazing stories! Honestly, I feel like in listening to your family's stories I have just come across the missing pieces of a puzzle I have long been trying to solve. You might enjoy reading my stories as it relates to two historical periods on Sakhalin Island and Hokkaido. The first was the shoot down of a Korean flight over Sakhalin in 1983. The second event which entered my consciousness actually occurred much earlier and it is about Japan's efforts to develop Hokkaido. It points to a period of Japan's history before their wars of conquest in Asia. They invited a staff of top educators from around the world to teach at Sapporo Agricultural College, now Hokkaido University. This was way back from 1876 to 1877. The US instructor they tapped had been the president of a Massachusetts college and a former colonel of Abraham Lincolns. His name was William Smith Clark. Clark taught Christianity in his own time. One of his students did not convert but was inspired so inspired by his studies that he sought to reconcile science and religion to a large extent. One of his friends did convert to Christianity and the two carried a friendly debate for many years in letters. The student's name was Shigetaka Shiga and after graduation he was fired from a job teaching English at a Jr High and decided to write a letter to the Japanese Navy offering to copy Darwin's travels, only in Asia. They accepted his idea, offered him a ship and he became Japan's version of Charles Darwin. Shiga eventually gifted a stone monument to the Alamo which my wife and I stumbled upon on our honeymoon in 1993. Like the story of your grandfather, Shiga wrote a poem on the e stone using archaic script nobody can read today. Turns out, my wife could read it thanks to her art training in calligraphy and pottery. The discovery of the unusual monument eventually led my wife to perhaps the most stunning treasure of the century. I have traveled to Korea twice and loved it...Still hoping to visit Sakhalin Island....where this story began in many ways. www.quora.com/Is-there-any-downside-to-being-a-top-student/answer/Prince-Blake-1

Thanks for sharing this

Сахалин и Курилы были, есть и будут русскими островами. Японцам надо смириться . Вопрос закрыт раз и навсегда. Живу с корейцами на Сахалине бок о бок всю жизнь, много друзей корейцев, семей русско-корейских, все живут дружно. Сахалинцы любят корейскую кухню. Национального вопроса в отношении корейцев вообще не существует.

Kind of interesting to visit sakhalin and witness their culture and people...

thank you for your story . seeing beautiful super intelligent ethnic Asians etc on you tube like you , it makes my heart break about north Korea . and what has happened to some of the greatest people in the world . can you even imagine how the world would be different for the good if Korea was united ! i believe there will be many north Koreans in Heaven .

Are you in contact with your S.Korean family (your grand-dads family) ?? I was bored and was doing article hopping in wikipedia , don't know how I ended up in your video here. Thank you for sharing us you story and I think i felt a little sad learning about your grandpa. I hope he finally found some peace when he was able to go back to Korea.

wow. thank you for sharing.

Over a hundred years ago, most of my Korean side fled somewhere into Russia to escape the Japanese occupation by 1910. I have never been able to locate them but the surname were 'Yi' (Lee) and I inherited the Middle Name 'Nestor' from 'Nestorov', from my Grandfather, who also had it, to carry on that legacy. Still to this day I know nothing about them, or where they are, so maybe they are there too in Sakhalin.

I just woke up then watch this:> loveeeeiieieie

I love your family story. I watched this whole video, history is so interesting. You said your great great grandma or something was carried around like a tiny house with bars? Like in kdramas? Was she from a rich family like yangbak? So cool. I always get confused cuz there is too many names aunts, great great grsndma,grandpa, parents...you know. 😂 I wish ppl would give us real historical books and real informations like you do. You should write a book😎

I bet Zoya likes to go to the Noraebang! amirite? By the way Zoya have you ever been to the Kamchatka peninsula? I heard a part of Korean ancient lineage is from Tungusic peoples of Siberia which makes Koreans different from other East Asian peoples.

Thank you for the insights. Only reason I subbed to this channel as a non-gamer. I would love to know more about this and if you have any Korean books that you can recommend, would be great. Also, would love to write a book on these experiences and definitely need more references.

did i just watch 46 min 😍

Interesting story and very informative. What throw me off about you is that your English is very similar to American English even with expression, your family must came to the US or Canada when you was young.

As an ethnic korean I feel very sad hearing your grandma's story. It's good to see that your grandma is living through you and that you are doing well.

Today I learned something new about Korean history. If you want to dive deeper, look up Koryo-saram [고려사람] along with the 사할린 한인.

Thank you so much for believing your grandma. So many things are not told to us.

I am really impressed by your bravery. It is touching. However one thing I wanna point out is that Korean who immigrated to Приморский край around 1860-1900, I don't think they moved to 연해주 area willingly. Well, you may say they did it to fulfill their dreams, but they had no choice to find better place to feed their families due to famine around 1860's and chaotic system in the mid-late 19 century happened in Korea peninsula. Some korean settled in North East China and others moved further up far east Russia.

Thank you for sharing your family story, your grandmother story was very tramautizing really sorry to hear that she had to experience that. Im originally from Macedonia and am huge fan of Russian history , Korean history and Japanese history and just started investigating about the korean russian today and just found this video on my recommendation. Excellent video

I think this might be helpful in finding more information for you. The KZfaq channels Time Ghost History and World War Two, hosted by Indy Neidel, have been doing a few series on WW2. One of those series is called the War Against Humanity, where they go though the crimes done to civilians throughout the war. Perhaps you can contact them about your stories. Maybe they can find sources about the events in your stories, especially during 1945. They are the channels TimeGhost History, and World War Two (where they do the War Against Humanity series).

The Russian speaking Koreans in central Asia were also Sakhalin Koreans in that they were deported from Sakhalin to where they are by Stalin. They arrived in Sakhalin on their own will a few decades before your family.

I came here from Google Earth because I was just curious about that place near Japan and Korea that’s Russia, and then watched the entire video! This fascinating and sad part of history that needs to be told.

Very sad story. I hope for world peace forever 💖 no more war please

Interesting. I was interested in how Korean end up in Russia.. nice to hear your family history. Are you living in busan nowadays? My mother is from busan. I go busan quiet often. Your family history is quite epic… Thank god. Your grandma survived the bombing on train station….

Nice video

Koryo Saram didn't immigrate to Central Asia . They were forcefully moved to central Asia from Far East of Russia, Vladivostok and many were russian and soviet citizens and have been in Russia since 1800s.

korean immigration's stories are soo interisting. like i'm french and i know a famous french youtuber that is korean, but she has been adopted so she doesn't know about her family :/ (marie palot)

I was suppose to write with my left hand too but they made me change to right but my moms a lefty

I shared a class with a Russian Korean from Sakhalin Island, and we spoke a lot of this history. She's a great person with a great history. She was surprised I knew anything about it. Interestingly, she was unaware Korean Airlines 007 over Sakhalin Island.

Just curious. Were you grandparents exiled to Kazakhstan?

Korean-Russians are as KINO epitomised, tormented, but loved and immortal. I grey up in Kazakhstan and we loved our Koreans so much for so many reasons. May Korea be unified. And no I do not like strongmen, i just hope the peninsula learns peace.

E mande pra mim.o que aconteceu depois com os coreanos e chineses tambem ai se avia filipinos em sacalina

In Nigeria it's also superstitious to use the left (for everyone not just females). As a matter of fact if you mistakenly use your left hands to give things to your elders they might slap you even if you aren't a lefty (because it's an insult to them). Over here it's just seen as a negative thing to use your left hand. I was born in Voronezh, Russia in the 90s but didn't get to grow up there because my mum graduated and returned to Nigeria.

I'm an American journalist who lived and worked in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in the mid-2000s. My kids were born there and have dual citizenship. Among the many Russian Koreans I knew and became friends with was a neighbor who shared her story of being displaced as a comfort girl. I believe she wanted me as an expat to know what really happened to so many of the young girls promised riches by the Japanese only to be horribly mistreated. Very sad.

Interesting story, I'm Chinese with full Korean blood ( 朝鲜族 ）

Many languages change over time the same with English like Nay means No Yea means Yes and another word for your in old English is Thy. This type of old English was spoken in the 12th century very few people can speak that type of old English.

Riveting family story! but how is your English so fluent? Did you live in the US?

I had never heard about sakhalin koreans, and found your story very interesting! did Korea ever try to repatriate sakhalin koreans? If families were separated, and some family members stayed behind in korea, then surely Korea must have had some idea that there were koreans on sakhalin? For example, you said your mothers side came actually from what is now north korea. Wouldnt ussr and north korea relations have been good enough to allow that? ...i guess with south korea maybe it was more complicated?

Must watch the movie if yall haven’t already “Battle ship Island”

How well are these details known in Korea?

You are so sweet.

Love sakhalin,from indonesia

Thank you Zoya, this is so interesting, also tragic. Sadly Korea has been victimized by clashing ideologies; under jurisdiction of China, Japanese invasion late 1500s & 1600s. In the mid 1858 European countries invaded China and what followed was Russia occupied the North, Japan the South. What followed was the Japanese/Russo war for the possession of all of korea. Japan defeated Russia then Japan annexed Korea in 1910. World War2 didnt help Korea at all. From 1905 till 1945 Japan committed numerous atrocities.

Is there anything like a Korea town anywhere in Russia?

반갑습니다 저 또한 한국인 디아스포라로서 한국인으로서 깊은 정을 느끼고 고려인 들이 자랑그립습니다

From Bruce Cumings's book The Origins of the Korean War "As we have seen in earlier chapters, racism against Koreans was exhibited by the highest levels of the American command. There is also a useful study of American-Korean and Russian-Korean relations by an anthropologist. David Olmsted, who was stationed along the thirty-eight parallel for six months in early 1946. According to his observations of the many Americans rotated periodically into duty at his observation post, only a handful ever took "the slightest interest in the affairs of Koreans." Those Americans who had any interest Koreans he put at about 5% of the total; he estimated the Russian figure, from his many discussions with Russian officers and soldiers at a corresponding observation post in the north, at 15%. The Russians also had Korean officers who on occasion commanded Russian soldiers - somethign not lost on the local population; the Americans, in contrast, had two Korean houseboys, whose "status as servants was never in doubt." Olmsted saw no evidence that the Russians employed Koreans as servants. Racism against Koreans was widespread among Americans; for example, the number of Americans who did not use the pejorative "gook" to refer to Koreans could be "counted on the fingers on both hands." In his many conversations with Russians, Olmsted found that "at no time did any attitudes of this sort come to lught," althought the Russians occasionally disparaged Korean food and religion. The result was that, in his observation at least, Russian-Korean relations generally semed to be cordial, whereas Korean villagers were "sullen, surly and aloof" toward Americans"