Russian-Speaking Digital Communities in South Korea: Formation and Linguistic Features

Abstract: This study examines the formation, structure, and linguistic practices of Russian-speaking digital communities in South Korea, with a particular focus on the integration of Korean words into Russian-language communication. Through web crawling and natural language processing techniques, the research analyzes a large-scale dataset collected from online platforms such as Telegram. Findings reveal that these migrant communities, formed primarily out of economic necessity, rely heavily on self-organized digital networks for employment information, housing, and social adaptation. Linguistically, while Russian remains the primary medium of communication, Korean words are widely adopted and systematically integrated into Russian grammar and semantics. The words undergo phonological adaptation, morphological inflection, and semantic shifts, reflecting migrants’ practical needs and lived experiences within Korean society. Terms related to work, administrative procedures, and geographic locations are particularly prominent. Semantic reconfigurations—such as apaty ‘apartment’, denoting high-rise or luxury housing, shchipun ’10 minutes’, referring to break time, and andzhon ‘safety’, indicating safety boots—show how borrowed terms evolve in meaning. Such shifts often coincide with grammatical innovations like pluralization, especially when abstract or collective concepts become concrete and countable. These patterns reveal how contact-induced language change is shaped by the interplay of grammar and semantics, driven by the sociocultural realities of migration. The study demonstrates that digital platforms not only facilitate the spread of borrowings but also foster the emergence of hybrid linguistic practices. Korean words have become embedded elements of migrant Russian, signaling broader processes of cultural negotiation and linguistic innovation. This research contributes to understanding how language contact evolves in digitally mediated diasporic settings and highlights the dynamic interaction among migration, technology, and language change.