KirŏgiFamilies in the US: Transnational Migration and Education

Changes in the form and function of the Korean family at the beginning of the twenty-first century are inextricably related to the process of globalisation. The kirŏgi family is one of several novel family types that have emerged since 1990. It is a split-household, transnational family with the mother and children moving to an English-speaking country for the children's education and the father staying behind in Korea to work and support the family. The kirŏgi family is a response to the challenges of rapid globalisation, to English as the global hegemonic language, to Korea's economic success and democratisation and to the rapid development of transportation and communication technology. Based on surveys and interviews with kirŏgi families in the Washington Metropolitan Area, we examine what makes the kirŏgi project worth considering, practicable and desirable, as these middle-class Korean families pursue success through education in the global arena.