Diaspora diplomacy has attracted growing attention as states and international organizations increasingly recognize the political and economic significance of diasporic communities, leading to more systematic policies of diaspora engagement grounded in national identity. This study examines migrating heritage within diaspora diplomacy through the case of the Korean National Association Attic Relics, archival records documenting the Korean independence movement in the United States during the period of Japanese colonial rule in Korea. Situating the case within South Korea's evolving frameworks of institutionalized diaspora engagement, the study examines how heritage circulates through processes of discovery, custodianship, loan, and exhibition, mediating negotiations over authority, belonging, and historical memory among state agencies, museums, and diaspora communities. By foregrounding migrating heritage as a site of negotiation and diplomatic encounter, this study highlights the value of more dialogic and co-stewardship-oriented approaches to diaspora engagement that recognize heritage as a shared and negotiated space within diaspora diplomacy.
Cho et al. (Fri,) studied this question.