Total population | |
---|---|
21,406 (2019) [1] [2] | |
Languages | |
Korean, English; some study Mandarin as a second language | |
Religion | |
Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism [3] | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Korean diaspora |
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Singaporeans |
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Koreans in Singapore consist mainly of South Korean expatriates. The community formed a population of 21,406 as of 2019 [update] , according to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, making them the world's 18th-largest Korean diaspora community. [1] Their population has grown by about 60% since 2007. [4] 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%. [5]
There is evidence of Koreans living in Singapore as early as the 1930s, when their homeland was under Japanese rule. A few Koreans are buried in the pre-World War II cemetery of Singapore's Japanese community. [6]
In the early 2000s, a variety of factors attracted South Korean migration to Singapore, including education, low taxes, and the ease of obtaining permanent residency status. [7] In 2006, the number of Koreans purchasing Singapore real estate jumped by 132% compared to 2005, with many purchasing as owner-occupiers as well as for investment purposes. [8] Following the increase in the Korean population, the number of restaurants and retailers aimed at the community is on the rise, with a majority of these establishments setting up in Tanjong Pagar, within the Central Region of Singapore. [9] This resulted in locals dubbing the Tanjong Pagar area as Korea Town or Little Korea. [10] The increasing popularity of South Korean culture has also led to an increase in South Korean cosmetic brands, food chains and other consumer brands opening stores in Singapore. Food products from South Korea are also increasingly common in local supermarkets, such as NTUC FairPrice, and are no longer found only in specialised Korean supermarkets. [11]
In the late 2010s, the new wave of Korean migration to Singapore consisted mostly of office workers, whom are usually expatriates working in South Korean companies based in the country, business owners and students. [5] Other reasons includes working in the service sector - for positions such as waiters, shop assistants and other service positions. Reasons citied for working in the service line includes the chance to master English, being able to work in a multiracial environment and also Singapore being a safe country. [12] Intermarriages with Singaporeans has also increased, due to the growing Korean population in the country. [13]
South Korea's Andong General Hospital and Singapore's Gleneagles Hospital established a clinic aimed at Koreans in Singapore as well as those living in Malaysia; initially staffed by a single Andong doctor assisted by a number of Korean-speaking attendants, the clinic cost S$200,000 to set up. [14]
Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, moved to Singapore in 2012 after fleeing Macau, and other high ranking North Koreans visit Singapore frequently to receive health care or to purchase luxury goods unavailable in their home country. North Korean defectors state that this relationship is the reason why the official Korean Central News Agency referred to Singaporean leader Lee Kuan Yew as an "intimate friend" of North Korea. [15] The Singaporean organisation Choson Exchange has also arranged for North Korean university students to obtain business internships in Singapore; under their auspices, two men and three women between the ages of 25 and 39 spent a month working at a business incubator in Singapore in 2013. [16]
Singapore's only school for Korean nationals, the Singapore Korean School, was established on 17 February 1993; as of 2018 [update] , it had 450 students at the pre-school, primary, middle and high school levels. [17] It conducts roughly two-thirds of its class hours in Korean, and one-third in English. [18] Its associated weekend school, opened at the same time, enrolled a total of 261 students at the elementary and middle school levels. [19] Despite the challenge they face from the local school system, the Singapore Korean International School still projects rising student numbers, and in 2010 the school moved to a new campus with room for 500 students.
Many Korean students bypass the Korean International School entirely in order to take advantage of English-medium education at government or non-Korean international schools. Singapore has become a popular destination for South Korean students and their parents, who see it as an ideal place to learn both English and Chinese, the two most popular foreign languages in South Korea. [20] [21] The Singapore Tourism Board began actively marketing Singaporean education to South Koreans in 2005; they form one of the larger sources of international students, along with other Asian countries such as China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. [22] By 2008, Singaporean schools enrolled an estimated 6,500 Korean students. [23] In many cases, mothers come to Singapore with their young school-age children, while the bread-winning father remains behind in South Korea and sends money to support them. [22]
The Singapore Premier League, commonly abbreviated as SPL, officially known as the AIA Singapore Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is a men's professional football league sanctioned by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), which represents the sport's highest level in the Singapore football league system.
Tanjong Pagar is a historic district located within the Central Business District of Singapore, straddling the Outram Planning Area and the Downtown Core under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's urban planning zones. The district has a rich history and is known for its cultural and architectural landmarks, making it a popular tourist destination.
Tanjong Pagar railway station, also called Singapore railway station or Keppel Road railway station, is a former railway station located at 30 Keppel Road in Singapore. The station was the southern terminus of the network operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), the main railway operator in Malaysia, until 30 June 2011 when the station ceased operations with relocation of the KTM station to Woodlands Train Checkpoint. The land on which the station and the KTM railway tracks stood was originally owned by KTM and over which Malaysia had partial sovereignty. This arrangement lasted until 30 June 2011, when rail service to Tanjong Pagar was ended and the land reverted to Singapore.
Malaysia–Singapore Points of Agreement of 1990 (POA) is an agreement between the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia and Singapore over the issue of the future of railway land owned by the Malaysian government through Malayan Railways in Singapore. It was signed by the then Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew and the then Finance Minister of Malaysia Tun Daim Zanuddin on behalf of their respective countries on 27 November 1990.
Lui Tuck Yew is a Singaporean diplomat, former politician and two-star rear-admiral who has been serving as Singapore Ambassador to the United States since 2023. He previously served as Singapore Ambassador to China between 2019 and 2023, and before that was Ambassador to Japan between 2017 and 2019.
Koreans in Vietnam form an unrecognized minority group in Vietnam.
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 France numbered 29,367 individuals as of 2014, making them the 3rd-largest Korean diaspora community in Western Europe, according to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Tanjong Katong Primary School is a government primary school, located on Seraya Road in Tanjong Katong, under Marine Parade Planning Area in the East Region of Singapore.
Malaysia–South Korea relations are the bilateral foreign relations between Malaysia and South Korea. Malaysia has an embassy in Seoul, and South Korea has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur. The two countries established relations in 1960. After cutting ties with North Korea in 2021 over an extradition, Malaysia recognized the Republic of Korea as the sole legitimate government of all of Korea.
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.
Chan Chun Sing is a Singaporean politician and former major-general who has been serving as Minister for Education since 2021 and Minister-in-charge of Public Service since 2018. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Buona Vista division of Tanjong Pagar GRC since 2011.
Sam Tan Chin Siong is a Singaporean former politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Radin Mas division of Tanjong Pagar GRC between 2006 and 2011 and Radin Mas SMC between 2011 and 2020.
Koreans in Thailand consist mainly of North Korean refugees and South Korean expatriates, along with a tiny number of South Korean immigrants who have naturalised as citizens of Thailand and their descendants. According to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in 2013 there were about 20,000 Koreans living in the country.
Koreans in Malaysia numbered 12,690 individuals as of 2015, making them the 22nd-largest community of overseas Koreans, and the 5th-largest in Southeast Asia.
Overseas Singaporeans refers to citizens or people who identify as a nation with the sovereign island city-state of Singapore that are living outside the borders of Singapore. Most Singaporeans overseas are high-income expatriates bringing their expertise or skills to other countries while accompanied by their families or students temporarily studying abroad.
Japan–Singapore relations or Singapore–Japan relations refers to the bilateral relations between Japan and Singapore, two highly developed Asian countries which share historical, economic, and political ties. While the two countries first established bilateral relations in 1966, some of the earliest relations date back from before the 15th century during the Muromachi period as well as the Ryukyu Kingdom. This continued for centuries until the most notable interaction with Japan's invasion of Singapore during World War II. The invasion led to a takeover of the country, after which Japan occupied Singapore for approximately four years before withdrawing following their loss in the war.
The 2020 Singapore Premier League was the 3rd season of the Singapore Premier League, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for association football clubs, since its rebranding in 2018. The champions of the 2020 Singapore Premier League qualified for the AFC Champions League group stage automatically.
The 2021 Singapore Premier League was the 4th season of the Singapore Premier League, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for association football clubs, since its rebranding in 2018.