| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 29,167 [1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Paris, Nice, Villeurbanne, Grenoble, Strasbourg, Toulouse | |
| Languages | |
| Korean, French | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity and Mahayana Buddhism [2] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Korean diaspora, Koryo-Saram |
Koreans in France numbered 29,367 individuals as of 2014 [update] , making them the 3rd-largest Korean diaspora community in Western Europe, according to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. [3]
Korean migration to France began in 1919, when the government of France issued work permits to 35 Korean migrant labourers. [4] From a community of just 3,310 in 1988, their numbers more than tripled by 2000, and then grew a further 30% by 2007. [5] [6] However, from 2009 to 2011, their population shrank by 14%. [3] The vast majority live in Paris — about two-thirds, according to 2011 data, compared with four-fifths a decade before — with the largest concentrations in the 15th arrondissement. There are more than twice as many women as men; the population has grown more gender-imbalanced as compared to a decade prior. [7] [3] Unlike in the United States or Canada, with their large Korean American and Korean Canadian communities, few Koreans in France seek to naturalise as French citizens. [8] Among all South Korean nationals or former nationals in France, 786 (6%) have become French citizens, 2,268 (18%) are permanent residents, 6,325 (50%) are international students, and the remaining 3,305 (26%) hold other kinds of visas. [3]
Aside from South Korean expatriates, children adopted from Korea into French families form another portion of France's Korean population; most were adopted at between ages three and nine. [9] The number of North Korean refugees has also been on the rise. [10]
Koreans in France are served by five Korean-language weekend schools, the oldest and largest of which is the Paris Hangul School, established 18 August 1974; it enrolled 170 students as of 2007. [11] Four others, in Villeurbanne, Grenoble, Strasbourg, and Toulouse, were established between 1994 and 2000; they enrolled a further 78 students. [12] [13] [14] [15] A significant number also attend French universities; in total, about half of the Korean population in France are estimated to be students, falling from two-thirds a decade ago. [7] [3]
Not many French people know that their country has a Korean community at all. [4] In many cases, Koreans are mistaken for Chinese and thus lumped in as economic refugees. [16]
As of 2001, only about 200 of the South Koreans in France were members of internationally married couples consisting of a South Korean partner and a French partner. [7] Such couples experienced a number of cultural conflicts, most commonly over the rigour of their children's education. [8]
Portrayals in popular culture of Koreans in France include the 2004 South Korean television series Lovers in Paris ; its popularity has resulted in an increase in the number of Korean tourists visiting France. [4] A more recent one is Hong Sang-soo's 2008 film Night and Day . [17]
South Korea maintains diplomatic relations with 191 countries. The country has also been a member of the United Nations since 1991, when it became a member state at the same time as North Korea. South Korea has also hosted major international events such as the 1988 Summer Olympics and 2002 World Cup Football Tournament and the 2011 IAAF World Championships Daegu South Korea. Furthermore, South Korea had hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics which took place in Pyeongchang, South Korea from 9 to 25 February.
Koreans in the Philippines, largely consisting of expatriates from South Korea and people born in the Philippines with Korean ancestry, form the second largest Korean diaspora community in Southeast Asia and the 14th-largest in the world, after Koreans in Kazakhstan and after Koreans in Vietnam. As of 2013, statistics of South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade recorded their population at 88,102 people, a fall of 31% since 2009 after a period of rapid growth in the population in the preceding decade.
Koreans in the Arab world used to form a major part of the worldwide Korean diaspora. Koreans started coming to the Arab world in large numbers in early 1970s as migrant labourers; between 1975 and 1985, 1.1 million Koreans came for work, which made it the third-most popular destination for Korean emigrants. Eventually, most returned home or moved on to other countries, and as of 2014, the South Korean government's own figures showed over 24 thousand of their nationals living in the region. However, South Korean nationals are present in all of the region's countries, and North Korean workers also have a growing presence in several of them.
Koreans in Africa form a very small population, estimated at only 9,200 people in 2005, with almost half of these living in South Africa. South Korean nationals can be found in 49 countries of Africa, including the continent and its surrounding islands; they have established schools in 19 of those countries. They form a small part of the Korean diaspora.
Koreans in Singapore consist mainly of South Korean expatriates. The community formed a population of 21,406 as of 2019, according to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, making them the world's 18th-largest Korean diaspora community. Their population has grown by about 60% since 2007. Many South Koreans living in Singapore are usually expatriates, consisting of 40-45% of the community, self-employed or Korean business owners consisting of 30% and students consisting of 20%.
Koreans in South Africa form the largest Korean diaspora community on the African continent and the 29th-largest in the world, ahead of Koreans in Spain and behind Koreans in Italy.
Koreans in Indonesia numbered 78,676 individuals as of 2018, making them the 13th-largest population of overseas Koreans, according to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The number has increased significantly from the previous record, which was around 50,000 people.
Koreans in Taiwan are the 30th-largest population of overseas Koreans and the 9th-largest foreign community in Taiwan.
South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in charge of the country's foreign relations, as well as handling matters related to overseas Korean nationals. It was established on 17 July 1948.
Korean Canadians are Canadian citizens of full or partial Korean ancestry, as well with immigrants from North and South Korea. As of 2016, Korean Canadians are the 8th largest group of Asian Canadians.
Koreans in the United Kingdom include Korean-born migrants to the United Kingdom and their British-born descendants tracing ancestries from North Korea and South Korea.
Koreans in Guatemala form one of the newest and fastest-growing Korean diaspora communities in Latin America.
Koreans in Paraguay formed one of the earliest Korean diaspora communities in Latin America. However, they were always overshadowed by the larger Korean communities in neighbouring Brazil and Argentina and since the late 1990s, their population has fallen significantly.
Koreans in Poland do not form a very large population. They consist of both North and South Koreans.
Koreans in Spain form one of the country's smaller Asian populations.
Koreans in Mongolia form one of the Korean diaspora communities in Asia. They consist of both North and South Korean expatriates.
Koreans in the Netherlands form one of the smaller Korean diaspora groups in Europe. As of 2022, 9,469 people of Korean origin lived in the Netherlands.
There is a small Korean community in India, consisting largely of South Korean expatriate professionals and their families, as well as some missionaries and international students at Indian universities.
There are roughly 948 Koreans in Sri Lanka, according to the 2013 statistics of South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade).
Korean Nepalese are the Nepalis who form a small expatriate community consisting mainly of Catholic nuns, volunteers and businesspeople. According to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, there were 645 South Koreans living in Nepal as of 2013, up by more than 70% from 374 in 2009. There are also known to be some North Koreans doing business in the country.
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1 An autonomous community of Spain off the northwest coast of Africa | |||||||||
