Koreans - Kinship, Marriage, and Family

The Koreans living in the villages rarely marry non-Koreans; in the cities mixed marriages among the educated younger generation occur more frequently. Most often, a Korean man marries a Russian woman. The Koreans living in the villages are still endogamous, and the Korean custom of prohibiting marriage between two persons from the same clan is also strictly observed. Marriage is monogamous; couples traditionally had numerous children, usually three to nine, although recently the younger Soviet Koreans limit their offspring to one or two.

As in Korea, family names often precede given names, and many women keep their maiden names even after marriage. Third-and fourth-generation Koreans, however, now follow the Russian practice of taking the father's name as a middle name.

The Confucian worldview, emphasizing respect for the hierarchal order determined by patriarchy, is maintained at home, especially among the older generation.