The article considers two groups of reasons that contributed to the emigration of the Korean population to the Far East in the second half of the 19th century. On the one hand, the resettlement of Koreans was facilitated by the internal problems of the Korean Peninsula, which included both the difficult socio-economic situation of the Korean peasants and a series of natural disasters that caused the majority of the population starvation. On the other hand, the migration legislation of the Russian Empire, aimed at the quickest settlement of newly acquired territories in the Far East, encouraged emigrants to choose our country with the promising benefits and desert fertile soils. The work also touches on the diplomatic relations of three countries (Russia, Korea and China), which were the prerequisites for the first Korean migration flows to territories belonging to the Russian Empire. The special relations of China and Korea are emphasized, as well as the main priorities of the foreign policy of Korea of that period, expressed in the so-called “closeness” of the country. The causes of economic and subsequent social problems of Korea are analyzed. The main stages of the annexation of the territories of the Far East to Russia are studied, and the attitude of the Russian authorities towards Korean immigrants is noted. It is concluded that there are a large number of unrelated factors that led to the subsequent migration of Koreans to the Far East.