Koreans 한민족(韓民族)
Complex of Goguryeo Tombs
Total population
78 million (est.) Image File history File links Goguryeo_tomb_mural. ... The Complex of Goguryeo Tombs lies in North Korea. ...
Regions with significant populations
South Korea      49,422,644 (2005 est.)  North Korea      22,912,177 (2005 est.) korean ancestry/overseas korean without naturalization (but with the exception of China,CIS,Japan by reason of Korean diaspora) Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Korea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_North_Korea. ... In law, naturalization refers to an act whereby a person acquires a citizenship different from that persons citizenship at birth. ... The terms gyopo or dongpo in Korean refers to persons of Korean ethnic descent who have lived the majority of their lives outside Korea. ... Source : Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade 외교통상부[1] Korean :[2] English : [3][4][5] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is in charge of diplomacy for South Korea, as well as handling external trade and matters related to overseas Korean nationals. ...
China 2,439,395  United States 2,087,496  Japan 901,284  CIS (incl. Russia) 532,697  Brazil 250,000  Australia 150,000  Canada 110,000  Philippines 92,608  United Kingdom 40,810  Argentina 35,000  Germany 34,000  Vietnam 33,000  New Zealand 31,500  Indonesia 23,205  Thailand 19,500  Mexico 14,571  France 13,162
Languages
Korean speakers: 80 million[1]
Religions
Nonreligious, Buddhist, Christian, Shamanism, Chondogyo, Confucian, Taoist, other

The Korean people are an East Asian ethnic group ^[2]. Most Koreans live in the Korean Peninsula, and speak the Korean language. Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_CIS.svg Flag of the Commonwealth of Independent States. ...  Member state  Associate member Headquarters Minsk, Belarus Working language Russian Type Commonwealth Membership 11 member states 1 associate member Leaders  -  Executive Secretary Viktor Yanukovych Establishment December 21, 1991 Website http://cis. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Philippines. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Argentina. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Vietnam. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Indonesia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Thailand. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mexico. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... A silhouette of a Buddha statue at Ayutthaya, Thailand. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... There are a number of shamanistic practices that are developed in Korea, where the role of a shaman is most frequently taken by women. ... Cheondogyo is a 20th century Korean religious movement, based on the 19th century Donghak movement founded by Choe Je-u. ... Wenmiao Temple, a Confucian Temple in Wuwei, Gansu, Peoples Republic of China. ... Taoism (Daoism) is the English name referring to a variety of related Chinese philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. ... East Asia Geographic East Asia. ... The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. ... This article is mainly about the spoken Korean language. ...

Names

South Koreans call Koreans Hangukin (or simply 한인/Han-in for South Koreans living abroad) (한국인; 韓國人) or informally Hanguk saram (한국 사람; 韓國 사람), while North Koreans call Koreans Chosŏn-in (조선인; 朝鮮人) or Chosŏn saram (조선 사람; 朝鮮 사람). See Names of Korea, Korean romanization, Hangul and Hanja. For the history of Korea, see Korea. ... North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK; Korean: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; Hangul: 조선민주주의인민공화국; Hanja: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國), is a country in eastern Asia... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Korean romanization means using letters of the Latin alphabet to write Korean language, which in Korea is written using Hangul, and sometimes Hanja. ... Jamo redirects here. ... Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. ...

Origins

See also: History of Korea

Koreans are believed to be descendents of Altaic^[3][4] or proto-Altaic^[5] speaking tribes, linking them with Mongolians, Tungusics, Turkics, and other Central Asians. Archaeological evidence suggest proto-Koreans were Altaic language speaking migrants from south-central Siberia^[6], who populated ancient Korea in successive waves from neolithic age to Bronze Age^[7]. This article is about the history of Korea, up to the division of Korea in the 1940s. ... Altaic is a putative language family which would include 60 languages spoken by about 250 million people, mostly in and around central Asia. ... Altaic is a putative language family which would include 60 languages spoken by about 250 million people, mostly in and around central Asia. ... The term Tungusic peoples is used to describe a peoples speaking a Tungusic languages. ... The Turkic people are any of various peoples whose members speak languages in the Turkic family of languages. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... The Liaoning bronze dagger culture is an archeological complex of the late Bronze Age in Northeast Asia. ...

POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPItalic textry as a distinct, mostly endogamous ethnic group, as male Koreans display a high frequency of Y-chromosomes belonging to Haplogroup O2b1 that are more or less specific to Korean populations.^{[citation needed]} This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Though they have interbred to some extent with other East Asian ethnic groups over the ages^{[citation needed]}, for the most part Koreans still display phenotypes revealing their Altaic origins. These features include tall stature, long bridged noses, higher cheekbones, and the Mongolian spot, a genetic predisposition for a bluish birthmark on the lower body which remains until early childhood.^{[citation needed]} The term Mongolian Spot(s) or Mongolian Blue Spot are flat birthmarks with wavy borders and irregular shapes, common among people of East Asian, East Indian, African and Latino heritage. ...

Regional differences

Significant regional differences exist.

Within South Korea, the most important regional difference is between the Gyeongsang region, embracing Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do provinces in the southeast, and the Jeolla region, embracing Jeollabuk-do and Jeollanam-do provinces in the southwest. The two regions, separated by the Jiri Massif, nurture a rivalry said to reach back to the Three Kingdoms Period, which lasted from the fourth century to the seventh century A.D., when the kingdoms of Baekje and Silla struggled for control of the peninsula. Gyeongsang (Gyeongsang-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang) is a province in eastern South Korea. ... Gyeongsangnam-do (South Gyeongsang) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. ... Jeolla (Jeolla-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla) is a province in the southwest of South Korea. ... Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla) is a province in the southwest of South Korea. ... The Three Kingdoms Period of Korea (hangul: 삼국시대) featured the three rival kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium CE. Historians claim that the Three Kingdoms period ran from the 1st century BCE (specifically 57 BC) until... Baekje (October 18 BC – August AD 660) was a kingdom in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. ... Silla (also spelled Shilla, traditional dates 57 BCE - 935 CE) was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. ...

Observers noted that interregional marriages are rare, and that as of 1990 a new fourlane highway completed in 1984 between Gwangju and Daegu, the capitals of Jeollanam-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do, completed in 1984, had not been successful in promoting travel between the two areas. This article is about Gwangju Metropolitan City in South Korea. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of South Korea highlighting the city. ...

South Korea's political elite, including presidents Park Chung-hee, Chun Doo-hwan, and Roh Tae-woo, have come largely from the Gyeongsang region. As a result, Gyeongsang has been a special beneficiary of government development assistance. This is a Korean name; the family name is Park Park Chung-hee (November 14, 1917 – October 26, 1979) was a former ROK Army general and the leader of the Republic of Korea from 1961 to 1979. ... This is a Korean name; the family name is Chun Chun Doo Hwan (born 18 January 1931) was former ROK Army general and the President of South Korea from 1980 to 1988. ... Noh Tae-woo (born December 4, 1932 in Daegu, South Korea), is a former Korean general and politician. ...

By contrast, the Jeolla region has remained comparatively rural, undeveloped, and poor. Chronically disaffected, its people rightly or wrongly have a reputation for rebelliousness. Regional bitterness was intensified by the May 1980 Gwangju massacre, in which about 200 and perhaps many more inhabitants of the capital of Jeollanam-do were killed by Chun Doo-hwan's troops sent to quell the citizens and student's demonstration against military coup regime. The demonstration against military regime occurred all over the country, but only Gwangju was heavily damaged. Many of the troops were reportedly from the Gyeongsang region. The Gwangju Massacre refers to the atrocities comitted in the city of Gwangju, South Korea from May 18 to May 27, 1980. ... This is a Korean name; the family name is Chun Chun Doo Hwan (born 18 January 1931) was former ROK Army general and the President of South Korea from 1980 to 1988. ...

Regional stereotypes, like regional dialects, have been breaking down under the influence of centralized education, nationwide media, and the several decades of population movement since the Korean War. Stereotypes remain important, however, in the eyes of many South Koreans. For example, the people of Gyeonggi-do, surrounding Seoul, are often described as being cultured, and Chungcheong people, inhabiting the region embracing Chungcheongbuk-do and Chungcheongnam-do provinces, are thought to be mild-mannered, manifesting true yangban virtues. The people of Gangwon-do in the northeast were viewed as poor and stolid, while Koreans from the northern provinces of Pyongan, Hwanghae, and Hamgyong, now in North Korea, are perceived as being diligent and aggressive. Jeju-do is infamous for its strong-minded and independent women. Combatants United Nations:  Republic of Korea,  Australia,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,  Canada,  Colombia,  Ethiopia,  France,  Greece,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  Philippines,  South Africa,  Thailand,  Turkey,  United Kingdom,  United States Medical staff:  Denmark,  Australia,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden Communist states:  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,  Peoples Republic of China,  Soviet Union Commanders... Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. ... Chungcheong (Chungcheong-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Chungcheongbuk-do (North Chungcheong) is a province in the centre of South Korea. ... Chungcheongnam-do (South Chungcheong) is a province in the west of South Korea. ... The Yangban were a well educated scholarly class of male Confucian scholars who were part of the ruling elite within Korea prior to 1945 and the republics period of Korean history. ... Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. ... Pyŏngan (Pyŏngan-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Hwanghae (Hwanghae-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, and one of the thirteen provinces of Korea during the Japanese Colonial Period. ... Hamgyŏng (Hamgyŏng-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Flag of Jeju Jeju-do[1] (transliterated Korean for Jeju Province, short form of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province) is the only special self-governing province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the countrys largest island. ...

Culture

Main articles: Culture of Korea, contemporary culture of North Korea, and contemporary culture of South Korea

North Korea and South Korea share a common heritage, but the political division since 1944 has resulted in some divergence of modern culture. This article is about the traditional culture of Korea. ... Since the establishment of the Han Dynasty colonies in the northern Korean Peninsula 2,000 years ago, Koreans have been under the cultural influence of China. ... A dance contest was being held on the stage in front of migliore, Myeongdong, Seoul The contemporary culture of South Korea derives from the traditional culture of Korea, but since the 1948 division of Korea, it has developed separately from North Koreas culture. ... The Korean peninsula, first divided along the 38th parallel, later along the demarcation line The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japans 35-year occupation of Korea. ...

Language

Main articles: Korean language and Hangul

The language of the Korean people is the Korean language, which uses hangul as its main writing system. There are around 73 million speakers of the Korean language worldwide.^{[citation needed]} This article is mainly about the spoken Korean language. ... Jamo redirects here. ... This article is mainly about the spoken Korean language. ... Jamo redirects here. ...

North Korea data

North Korean soldiers in the Joint Security Area.

Estimating the size, growth rate, sex ratio, and age structure of North Korea's population has been extremely difficult. Until release of official data in 1989, the 1963 edition of the North Korea Central Yearbook was the last official publication to disclose population figures. After 1963 demographers used varying methods to estimate the population. They either totaled the number of delegates elected to the Supreme People's Assembly (each delegate representing 50,000 people before 1962 and 30,000 people afterward) or relied on official statements that a certain number of persons, or percentage of the population, was engaged in a particular activity. Thus, on the basis of remarks made by President Kim Il Sung in 1977 concerning school attendance, the population that year was calculated at 17.2 million persons. During the 1980s, health statistics, including life expectancy and causes of mortality, were gradually made available to the outside world. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixels Full resolution (480 × 640 pixel, file size: 65 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Panmunjeom, JSA, inside the middle barack. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixels Full resolution (480 × 640 pixel, file size: 65 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Panmunjeom, JSA, inside the middle barack. ... The Joint Security Area (JSA), often called the Truce Village in both the media[1][2] and various military accounts[3], is the only portion of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where South and North Korean forces stand face-to-face. ... The Supreme Peoples Assembly is the parliament of the North Korea (DPRK). ... Kim Il-sung (April 15, 1912–July 8, 1994) was a Korean Communist politician and the ruler of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea) from 1948 until his death. ...

In 1989 the Central Statistics Bureau released demographic data to the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) in order to secure the UNFPA's assistance in holding North Korea's first nationwide census since the establishment of the state in 1948. Although the figures given to the United Nations might have been distorted, it appears that in line with other attempts to open itself to the outside world, the North Korean regime has also opened somewhat in the demographic realm. Although the country lacks trained demographers, accurate data on household registration, migration, and births and deaths are available to North Korean authorities. According to the United States scholar Nicholas Eberstadt and demographer Judith Banister, vital statistics and personal information on residents are kept by agencies on the ri (“village”, the local administrative unit) level in rural areas and the dong (“district” or “block”) level in urban areas. The United Nations Fund for Population Activities was started in 1969 and renamed the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 1987. ... Image:1870 census Lindauer Weber 01. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... Administrative divisions of North Korea The administrative divisions of North Korea are organized into three hierarchical levels. ...

Koreans outside of the Korean peninsula

A Russian stamp honouring rock star Viktor Tsoi

Main article: Korean diaspora

Large-scale emigration from Korea began as early as the mid-1860s, mainly into the Russian Far East and Northeast China; these emigrants became the ancestors of the 2 million ethnic Koreans in China and several hundred thousand ethnic Koreans in Central Asia. During the Japanese colonial period of 1910-1945, Koreans were often recruited and or forced into labour service to work in mainland Japan, Karafuto Prefecture, and Manchukuo; the ones who chose to remain in Japan at the end of the war became known as Zainichi Koreans, while the roughly 40 thousand who were trapped in Karafuto after the Soviet invasion are typically referred to as Sakhalin Koreans. Korean emigration to America was known to have begun as early as 1903, but the Korean American community did not grow to a significant size until after the passage of the Immigration Reform Act of 1965; now, roughly 2 million Koreans live in the United States. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... This a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Russia. ... Grave of Victor Tsoi, 1992. ... The terms gyopo or dongpo in Korean refers to persons of Korean ethnic descent who have lived the majority of their lives outside Korea. ... Far Eastern Federal District (highlighted in red) Russian Far East (Russian: Д́альний Вост́ок Росс́ии; English transliteration: Dalny Vostok Rossii) is an informal term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i. ... Approximate extent Northeast China (Simplified Chinese: 东北; Traditional Chinese: 東北; pinyin: Dōngběi; literally east-north), historically known as Manchuria, is the name of a region (ca. ... This article talks about the Korean people (朝鲜族/조선족) in China. ... Koryo-saram (Russian: Корё сарам; Koryo-mar: 고려사람) is the name which ethnic Koreans in the Post-Soviet states use to refer to themselves. ... Flag of the Japanese Empire Anthem Kimi ga Yoa Korea under Japanese Occupation Capital Keijo Language(s) Korean, Japanese Religion Shintoisma Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor of Japan  - 1910–1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912–1925 Emperor Taisho  - 1925–1945 Emperor Showa Governor-General of Korea  - 1910–1916 Masatake Terauchi  - 1916–1919 Yoshimichi... ... Karafuto (樺太) is the Japanese name for the southern part of the island of Sakhalin or the entire island of Sakhalin. ... Flag Anthem National Anthem of Manchukuo Map of Manchukuo Capital Hsinking Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1932 - 1934 Datong (Chief Executive) (Aisingioro Puyi)  - 1934 - 1945 Kangde-Emperor (Aisingioro Puyi) Prime Minister  - 1932 - 1935 Zheng Xiaoxu  - 1935 - 1945 Zhang Jinghui Historical era World War II  - Established 1932  - Disestablished 1945 Manchukuo (, State of... Zainichi (在日) is short for Zainichi Chōsenjin (Koreans/Choson people in Japan, 在日朝鮮人, 재일조선인) or Zainichi Kankokujin (South Koreans in Japan, 在日韓国人, 재일한국인), meaning the Korean residents of Japan. ... Sakhalin Koreans trace their roots back to immigrants from Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces in the late 1930s and early 1940s. ... A Korean American is a person of Korean ancestry who was either born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... The Immigration and Nationality Act amendments of 1965 (Public Law 236 of the 89th Congress, also known as the Hart-Celler Act or the INS Act of 1965) abolished the national-origin quotas that had been in place in the United States since the Immigration Act of 1924. ...

Large Koreatowns can also be found in Australia, Brazil, and Canada. The largest Korean community outside of Korea is in Los Angeles, California. British Koreans now form Western Europe's largest Korean community; Koreans in Germany used to outnumber the ones in the UK until the late 1990s. There are also Koreatowns in Latin American countries such as Argentina, Guatemala, and Mexico. In recent years, the number of Koreans in the Philippines and Koreans in Vietnam have also grown significantly. Koreatown (Korean: 코리아타운) is a term to describe the Korean ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area. ... British Koreans are ethnic Koreans born or raised in the United Kingdom. ... The borders of Western Europe were largely defined by the Cold War. ... Koreans in Germany numbered 32,068 individuals as of 2005, making them the 9th-largest community of overseas Koreans worldwide, and the third-largest in Europe (behind Russia and the United Kingdom), according to South Koreas Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... According to a recent survey, the Koreans in the Philippines number about 22,000. ... Koreans in Vietnam came initially in a military capacity, fighting on both sides of the Vietnam War. ...

Notes

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain.
• 서의식 and 강봉룡. 뿌리 깊은 한국사, 샘이 깊은 이야기: 고조선, 삼국, ISBN 89-8133-536-2
• Barnes, Gina. The Rise of Civilization in East Asia: the Archaeology of China, Korea and Japan, ISBN 05-0027-974-8

The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress ( USA), freely available for use by researchers. ... The U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1789 by a constitutional convention, sets down the basic framework of American government in its seven articles. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

See also

• Korean diaspora
• Koryo-saram (Koreans of the former Soviet Union)
• Koreatown
• Demographics of North Korea
• Demographics of South Korea
• List of Korea-related topics

The terms gyopo or dongpo in Korean refers to persons of Korean ethnic descent who have lived the majority of their lives outside Korea. ... Languages Russian, Koryo-mar Religions Orthodox Christianity, Protestantism, Buddhism, others[2] Related ethnic groups Koreans, Sakhalin Koreans Koryo-saram (Russian: Корё сарам; Koryo-mar: 고려사람) is the name which ethnic Koreans in the Post-Soviet states use to refer to themselves. ... Koreatown (Korean: 코리아타운) is a term to describe the Korean ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area. ... The demographics of North Korea are difficult to assess due to the limited amount of data available from the country. ... // noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean Population: 48,846,823 (July 2006 est. ... This is a list of Wikipedia articles on Korea-related people, places, things, and concepts. ...

External links

• Korean Food Glossary
• Korean American Museum
• Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan)