| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 13,152 (2023) [1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Kuala Lumpur | [2] |
 Selangor | [2] |
 Penang | [3] |
 Johor | [4] |
 Sabah | [5] |
 Sarawak | [6] [7] |
| Languages | |
| Korean, English, Malay [8] | |
| Religion | |
| Mainly Mahayana Buddhism, [9] Christianity [10] and other minorities | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Korean diaspora | |
Koreans in Malaysia numbered 13,152 individuals as of 2023 [update] , making them the 22nd-largest community of overseas Koreans, and the 6th-largest in Southeast Asia. [1]
The history of Koreans in Malaysia goes back almost half a century; Malaysia and South Korea established diplomatic relations in 1960, and in the following decade, when Malaysia faced a shortage of doctors, a number of foreign doctors, including Koreans and Filipinos, were authorised to practise in Malaysia. [11] [12] Some construction workers, pilots, and sailors were also sent to the country. [13]
The Korean community in Malaysia consist mostly of migrants working in South Korean companies, as well as an increasing number of international students. [14] The number of retirees coming under the Malaysia My Second Home immigration programme has also been increasing. [2] Most Korean residents are concentrated in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, especially in Ampang, where a Koreatown is beginning to sprout. [3] [15] The popularity of Korean dramas in Malaysia has meant an increasingly friendly reception for Korean migrants by local people. [14] Real estate investment is another factor drawing Koreans to migrate to Malaysia, due to the taxes imposed on people who own more than two properties in Korea; Malaysia is the second most popular market for overseas real estate investment by Koreans, after the United States. [2]
Around 200,000 South Korean tourists came to Malaysia in 2006; Kota Kinabalu was their most popular destination. [12] About 1,800 to 2,000 Koreans reside in Sabah, most of them in Kota Kinabalu. [5] Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal project in Kimanis, Papar has brought South Korean employees of Samsung Engineering to work and live there until the terminal completion in December 2013. [16]
There were also some North Koreans working in Sarawak in the mine industry. [6] This was revealed after a tragedy that killed one and injuring seven others North Koreans in 2014. [7] By September 2017, the state Immigration Department has confirmed there are no more North Koreans working in Sarawak with the coal mine also had stopped their operation. [17]
Roughly 2,000 of the Koreans in Malaysia are students; Malaysia's multicultural environment offers them the chance to practise English as well as study other languages such as Chinese or Malay; they describe the educational environment as being more relaxed than in Korea. Korean churches form an important part of their social life. [8] [10] Their parents also prefer Malaysia to other countries for several reasons. The low cost of living and education in Malaysia is a major pull factor; Parents also believe Malaysia offers a better environment for English study than neighbouring countries. A representative from one Seoul company which helps to arrange overseas study for local students estimated that 90% of Korean students going to Southeast Asia choose Malaysia as their destination. However, some international schools have stopped accepting Korean students because they have become too large a proportion of their student bodies. [14] In many cases, mothers come to Malaysia with their young school-age children, while the breadwinning father remains behind in South Korea and sends money to support them. [18]
Malaysia's first officially registered weekend school for Korean nationals, the Malaysia Korean School, was established on 7 December 1974; it had 26 teachers and enrolled 148 students as of 2006 [update] . It was located on Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur. [19] The first day school for Korean families, the Korean School of Malaysia, opened in Cyberjaya in 2016. [20]
Transportation in Malaysia started to develop during British colonial rule, and the country's transport network is now diverse and developed. Malaysia's road network is extensive, covering 290,099.38 kilometres, including 2,016.05 km of expressways. The main highway of the country extends over 800 km, reaching the Thai border from Singapore. Peninsular Malaysia has an extensive road network, whilst the road system in East Malaysia is not as well-developed. The main modes of transport in Peninsular Malaysia include buses, trains, cars and to an extent, commercial travel on airplanes.
Kota Kinabalu, colloquially referred to as KK, is the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is also the capital of the Kota Kinabalu District as well as the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies to its west and Mount Kinabalu, which gave the city its name, is located to its east. Kota Kinabalu has a population of 452,058 according to the 2010 census; when the adjacent Penampang and Tuaran districts are included, the metro area has a combined population of 628,725. The 2020 Census revealed an increase in the municipal population to 500,421, while the wider area including the Penampang and Putatan districts had a population of 731,406.
Abdul Razak Bin Abdul Halim was a Malaysia lawyer and politician who served as the second prime minister of Malaysia from 1970 until his death in 1976. He also served as the first deputy prime minister of Malaysia from 1957 to 1970. He is referred to as the Father of Development.
Christianity is the third-largest religion in Malaysia. In the 2020 census, 9.1% of the Malaysian population identified themselves as Christians. About two-thirds of Malaysia's Christian population lives in East Malaysia, in the states of Sabah and Sarawak. Adherents of Christianity represent a majority (50.1%) of the population in Sarawak, which is Malaysia's largest state by land area. Christianity is one of four major religions, including Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, that have a freedom protected by the law in Malaysia based on diversity law especially in East Malaysia.
Malaysian national projects are major national projects that are important to the development of Malaysia. The following is a list from Malaysian independence in 1957 to the present.
The Catholic Church in Malaysia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. The apostolic nuncio to Malaysia is currently Archbishop Wojciech Załuski, who was appointed on 22 September 2020; The current resident ambassador of Malaysia to the Holy See is Hendy anak Assan.
This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 2006, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians.
Rail transport in Malaysia has evolved significantly since its inception in the late 19th century, reflecting the country's economic growth and modernization.
Formerly known as Pusat Teknologi dan Pengurusan Lanjutan (PTPL), MSU College (MSUC) is a private college in Malaysia. Its main campus is located in Shah Alam, Selangor.
The Malaysian Prison Department, is a department under Malaysia's Ministry of Home Affairs responsible for prisons where offenders sentenced by the courts are held. These prisons also serve as detention and recovery institutions.
The history of Japanese migration in Malaysia goes back to the late 19th century, when the country was part of the British Empire as British Malaya.
INTI International University is a private university located in Malaysia. The main campus was initially known as INTI University College until 31 May 2010 when the Higher Education Ministry announced its upgrade to university status.
2011 in Malaysia is the 54th anniversary of Malaysia's independence.
2013 was the 56th anniversary of Malaysia's independence.
The Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) (Malay: Pusat Transformasi Bandar) is a public amenities centre located at some state capitals and urban areas in Malaysia. The rural counterpart of UTC is Rural Transformation Center(RTC). UTC can be found in the tallest building by state in Malaysia, such as City Plaza Tower in Kedah, KOMTAR Tower in Penang.
The following lists events from 2014 in Malaysia.
The following lists events from 2015 in Malaysia.
2017 in Malaysia is Malaysia's 60th anniversary of its independence and 54th anniversary of its formation of Malaysia.
Events in 2016 in Malaysia.