Geography of Grievance: Migration, Memory, Discrimination, and Political Identity in South Korea

Regional identity remains a powerful force in South Korean political behavior, even among internal migrants. This study investigates how individuals from Jeolla Province, a historically marginalized region, respond to perceived discrimination after relocating to the Seoul Metropolitan Area. Drawing on original survey data, the analysis finds that Jeolla-origin migrants who report discrimination are significantly more likely to support the Democratic Party and less likely to disengage politically, relative to Gyeongsang-origin individuals, whose region has historically been favored by the state. These divergent responses suggest that political behavior is shaped not only by current experiences but by how inequality is interpreted through the lens of regional memory. By situating the Korean case within broader comparative frameworks, this study contributes to theories of identity politics, demonstrating how migration and perceived exclusion sustain partisan alignment beyond geographic origin.