Koreans in Singapore
Encyclopedia
Koreans in Singapore formed a population of 13,509 individuals , according to South Korea
's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
, making them the world's 21st-largest Korean diaspora community. Their population grew by over 80% between 2005 and 2007, and has remained roughly stable since then.
. A few Koreans are buried in the pre-World War II
cemetery of Singapore's Japanese community
.
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. In 2006, the number of Koreans purchasing Singapore real estate jumped by 132% compared to 2005, with many purchasing as owner-occupier
s as well as for investment purposes. Following the increase in the Korean population, the number of restaurants and retailers aimed at the community is on the rise, and now includes two ddeok shops. South Korea's Andong General Hospital and Singapore's Gleneagles Hospital and Medical Centre
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 SG$
200,000 to set up.
, and one-third in English
. Its associated weekend school, opened at the same time, enrolled a total of 261 students at the elementary and middle school levels. Despite the challenge they face from the local school system, the Korean International School still projects rising student numbers, and in 2010 plans to move to a new campus with room for 500 students, five times as many as their current facilities.
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 Korea
n 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. 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. By 2008, Singaporean schools enrolled an estimated 6,500 Korean students. 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.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (South Korea)
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. It was established on 17 July 1948. Until 1998, the ministry was known as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; its jurisdiction over...
, making them the world's 21st-largest Korean diaspora community. Their population grew by over 80% between 2005 and 2007, and has remained roughly stable since then.
History
There is evidence of Koreans living in Singapore as early as the 1930s, when their homeland was under Japanese ruleKorea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
. A few Koreans are buried in the pre-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
cemetery of Singapore's Japanese community
Japanese expatriates in Singapore
There is a large community of Japanese expatriates in Singapore, consisting mostly of corporate employees and their families. The first Japanese person to settle in Singapore was Yamamoto Otokichi, who arrived in 1862...
.
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. In 2006, the number of Koreans purchasing Singapore real estate jumped by 132% compared to 2005, with many purchasing as owner-occupier
Owner-occupier
An owner-occupier is a person who lives in and owns the same home. It is a type of housing tenure. The home of the owner-occupier may be, for example, a house, apartment, condominium, or a housing cooperative...
s as well as for investment purposes. Following the increase in the Korean population, the number of restaurants and retailers aimed at the community is on the rise, and now includes two ddeok shops. South Korea's Andong General Hospital and Singapore's Gleneagles Hospital and Medical Centre
Gleneagles Hospital and Medical Centre
Gleneagles Hospital and Medical Centre is a 380-bed private hospital, located in Napier Road, Singapore. It provides medical and surgical services....
established a clinic aimed at Koreans in Singapore as well as those living in Malaysia
Koreans in Malaysia
Koreans in Malaysia numbered 14,580 individuals , nearly triple the total of 5,920 individuals in 2005, according to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade...
; initially staffed by a single Andong doctor assisted by a number of Korean-speaking attendants, the clinic cost SG$
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
200,000 to set up.
Education
Singapore's only school for Korean nationals, the Singapore Korean School, was established on 17 February 1993; as of 2005, it had 15 teachers and enrolled 100 students at the elementary school level. It conducts roughly two-thirds of its class hours in KoreanKorean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
, and one-third in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Its associated weekend school, opened at the same time, enrolled a total of 261 students at the elementary and middle school levels. Despite the challenge they face from the local school system, the Korean International School still projects rising student numbers, and in 2010 plans to move to a new campus with room for 500 students, five times as many as their current facilities.
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
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
has become a popular destination for South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n students and their parents, who see it as an ideal place to learn both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, the two most popular foreign languages in South Korea. The Singapore Tourism Board
Singapore Tourism Board
The Singapore Tourism Board is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore, tasked to promote the country's tourism industry.-History:...
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. By 2008, Singaporean schools enrolled an estimated 6,500 Korean students. 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.
Notable people
- Eun Choo, wife of Eric KhooEric KhooEric Khoo is a film director from Singapore. He was introduced to the world of cinema at a very early age. He was educated at United World College of South East Asia before attending City Art Institute in Sydney, Australia where he pursued cinematography...
- Joakim Gomez, Singapore IdolSingapore IdolSingapore Idol is a television show on Channel 5 of MediaCorp TV. It is a competition among undiscovered singers in Singapore. Like others in the Idol series, it is modelled after Pop Idol. The current judges are singer/songwriter Dick Lee and record producers Florence Lian and Ken Lim. Previous...
finalist (Korean and Indian parentage) - Suzanne Jung, Channel NewsasiaChannel NewsAsiaChannel NewsAsia is an English language pan-Asian news network based in Singapore and owned by MediaCorp. Started on 1 March 1999 based in Singapore by Television Corporation of Singapore, it was launched internationally on 12 February 2001 as the international broadcasting arm of Channel...
news anchor - Jin Yinji (HanjaHanjaHanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
: 金銀姬), Mediacorp Actress