Multiracial people in South Korea

Multiracial people in South Korea, or Multiracial South Koreans (), are residents or citizens of South Korea who are of partial Korean descent, often born to one Korean parent and one non-Korean parent.

History While intermarriage occurred between Goryeo royals and leading families of the Yuan court during Mongol rule from the 13th century, a persistent concept of Korea as ethnically and culturally homogenous has prevailed in Korea, and continues as Korean ethnic nationalism. Multiracial non-royal individuals have lived in Korea since at least the Joseon period, with one of that era's best-known cases being the first descendants of the Byeongyeong Nam clan, founded by a Dutchman who accompanied Hendrik Hamel.성씨 · 본관별 인구(5인 이상) 전국, Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) (in Korean). Retrieved 26 July 2024 Centuries later, the population of multiracial Koreans, in particular "Amerasian" war babies, rose drastically during and shortly after the Korean War."Mixed Race Children in 1960s-70s Korea and ECLAIR", Presbyterian Historical Society. Retrieved 26 July 2024

Since the mid-2010s, South Korea has seen a rise in interracial relationships between native Koreans and foreign residents and subsequent births of multiracial children. It is believed that this phenomenon is a result of the popularization of South Korean media abroad (Korean Wave), and its ongoing population crisis.

Terminology In South Korea 혼혈 – "혼혈(混血)" is a term that means "mixed blood". It is the most common term used for mixed Koreans. It can be paired with a country and the word 혼혈 to reflect a person's specific heritage. 중국 혼혈 – Chinese-Koreans 일본 혼혈 – Japanese-Koreans 백인 혼혈 – White Koreans 흑인 혼혈 – Black Koreans 혼혈아 — Korean reading of Chinese 混血儿/混血兒 반반이 – "Halfie", considered outdated and offensive 하프 – "Half", borrowed directly from English, outdated and offensive 잡종 – "Mongrel", outdated and offensive, used mostly in North Korea 튀기 — "Fried", outdated and offensive Social perception Race in South Korea Race (Hanja: 人種, ) is the categorization of various human groups based on arbitrary phenotypical features or cultural attributions.https://anthroholic.com/major-races-of-the-world?srsltid=AfmBOop3o1GtETt_fY-owh4PRmmPlpnDD5YX_GOZbTBlC3AHdYTxTodJ Race is a social construct that is ever-changing. While nowadays social constructs of race, gender, or sexual orientation have been influenced by European or American ("Western") sociological frameworks, this was not always the case. Early ideas on race or distinction between peoples in East Asia was greatly influenced by Chinese ideology and philosophy, such as the Hua-Yi distinction. According to Hua-Yi, Chinese civilization and those in its periphery, such as Korea, Japan, or Vietnam, were considered to be "civilized", while those outside of China's periphery were considered "barbarians".University of California, Berkeley Hua-Yi DIstinction Although this framework on race was heavily Sinocentric, it persisted in the region until the Early Modern period.

In more contemporary times, racial frameworks in South Korea have been greatly influenced by the United States, like with many other aspects of South Korean culture and society.Francesca Cabiddu (2023) "The Americanization of South Korea: U.S. influence on South Koreans' daily life"

Discrimination and social stigma

The Korean Peninsula has historically been homogenous; the predominant ethnic group in both North Korea and South Korea is Koreans. However, rising rates of foreign-born residents such as expats and immigrants has led to a demographic shift in the country. Most foreign residents in South Korea are foreign nationals of Korean ancestry (Gyopo) from China, Central and Southeast Asia.MinSoo Kim-Bossard (2018), "Challenging Homogeneity in Contemporary Korean Immigrant Women, Immigrant Laborers, and Multicultural Families"; "Black Koreans" (흑인 혼혈 ) and "White Koreans" (백인 혼혈 ) are far less common, in comparison. The vast majority of intermarriages in South Korea are intercultural, not interracial, with other Asian countries such as Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Mongolia accounting for the vast majority of intermarriages between Koreans and non-Koreans. In regards to interracial marriages, European, North American, and broadly “Western” countries such as France, Turkiye, the United States, Canada, and Australia are within the top twenty. International marriages account for one tenth of all marriages in the country.Yi Whan-woo (2024 Mar 20), retrieved 2026 Jan 14 Int'l couples account for one out of ten marriages in Korea Nationwide, metropolitain areas, including Seoul, Busan, Incheon, and Gwangju account for the majority of intermarriage rate; on a provincial level excluding the Seoul Capital Area (including Gyeonggi Province), Gangwon, North and South Chungcheong, and North and South Jeolla provinces have all reported an increase in intermarriages and births.KOrean Statistical Information Services (KOSIS) (2025 Nov 6), retrieved 2026 Jan 14 multicultural marriages by province, si(city), gun(county), and gu(borough)KOSIS (2025 Nov 6), retrieved 2026 Jan 14 multicultural Live births by province, si(city), gun(county), and gu(borough)

South Korea is one of the few developed countries to not have anti-discrimination laws,Hyein Ellen Cho, Eva Richards (Oct 20, 2023) "Why South Korea Can't Pass Anti-discrimination Laws" which leaves minority groups, including multiracial or multicultural South Koreans and their families susceptible to discrimination and social ostricization. However, the common sentiment among monoracial South Koreans is neutrality and apathy. Whenever media, corporations, or individuals express racist or xenophobic rhetoric, it is dismissed under the excuse of East Asia being "isolated", or racism in South Korea not being "as bad" as it is in other countries.Song Seung-hyun, Korea Herald (2025) "'It's just subtle, not serious': What Koreans miss when downplaying racismKo Jun-tae, Stanford University Freeman Spoogli Institute for International Studies (2021) "[Us and Them] I'm Korean, You're Not, And There's A Fine Line You Can't Cross" The lived reality of multiracial individuals and their families contradicts this, however. Cases of bullying, workplace discrimination, and physical assault.

Notable people South Korean-born Insooni (born 1957), South Korean singer — African American and Korean Han Hyun-min (born 2001), South Korean model and actor — Nigerian and Korean Jin Hyeon-ju (born 2001), South Korean singer — Filipina and Korean Nancy (born 2001), South Korean siger — Irish-American and Korean Bae Yujin (born 2002), South Korean model — Nigerian and Korean Jenny Park (born 2006), South Korean model — Nigerian and Korean Foreign-born Stephen Park, lawyer and businessman — Unspecified European and Korean Hines Ward (born 1976), American football coach — African American and Korean Yoon Mi-rae (born 1981), American singer — African American and Korean descent Michelle Lee (born 1991), South Korean singer — African American and Korean descent AleXa (born in 1996), American singer based in South Korea — Russian-American and Korean Vernon (Choi Han-sol, born 1998), South Korean singer and member of boy band Seventeen — American and Korean Jeon Somi (born 2001), Canadian and South Korean singer — Dutch-Canadian and Korean

Kyla (born in 2001), South Korean singer (American and Korean descent) Huening Kai (Jung Hawon, born 2002), South Korean singer (American and Korean descent) Lily (born in 2002), Australian-born singer (Anglo-Australian and Korean descent) Danielle (born in 2005), Australian-born singer (Australian and Korean descent) Ella Gross (born in 2008), American singer based in South Korea (German-American and Korean descent)

Multiracial people in South Korea

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