Nepalis in South Korea
Encyclopedia
Nepalis in South Korea comprise migrants from Nepal
to South Korea
, including temporary expatriates and permanent residents, as well as their locally-born descendants.
and Teej
are celebrated throughout the country.
, Seoul
to provide charitable assistance for Nepalis who become unemployed or otherwise face difficulties. Another organisation, aimed specifically at international student
s, is the Society of Nepalese Students in Korea (SONSIK), established in 2004. South Korea's multilingual Migrant Workers' Television was founded by Nepali migrant worker Minod Moktan (Minu), a human rights activist who stayed in South Korea as an illegal alien for nearly 18 years before his deportation in October 2009.
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
to 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...
, including temporary expatriates and permanent residents, as well as their locally-born descendants.
Migration history
The first wave of Nepalese immigration began in the late 1980s. After Nepal restored its democracy in the 1990s, labour laws were changed to allow Nepalese youths to go abroad in search of work. The Nepalese community in South Korea thus consists primarily of migrant workers, but also has large numbers of students as well as Nepalese women married to South Korean men they met through international matchmaking agencies. The Nepali government are attempting to induce Nepali workers staying illegally in South Korea (roughly 2,500 ) to return home, in hopes that the South Korean government will increase its intake of Nepali workers in future years.Culture
The Nepalese community managed to keep their traditions alive while living in South Korea. Nepalese festivals such as Tihar, DasainDasain
Dashain is the 15-day national festival of Nepal, It is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated with great rejoice by Nepalese of all caste and creed throughout the globe. It is not only the longest festival of the country but is also the one...
and Teej
Teej
Teej is a fasting festival for Hindu women. It takes place on the third day of Shukla Paksha of the Shraavana or Saawan month of Hindu calendar that normally falls from late July to early September...
are celebrated throughout the country.
Organisations
The Non-Resident Nepali Association of Korea is one organisation for Nepalis living in South Korea. In 2010, they opened a shelter in Dongdaemun-guDongdaemun-gu
Dongdaemun-gu is one of the 25 gu of Seoul, South Korea. It is located to the north of the River Han. Its district office is in Yongdu-dong where is close to the underground station of branch of Line 2....
, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
to provide charitable assistance for Nepalis who become unemployed or otherwise face difficulties. Another organisation, aimed specifically at international student
International student
According to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development , international students are those who travel to a country different from their own for the purpose of tertiary study. Despite that, the definition of international students varies in each country in accordance to their own national...
s, is the Society of Nepalese Students in Korea (SONSIK), established in 2004. South Korea's multilingual Migrant Workers' Television was founded by Nepali migrant worker Minod Moktan (Minu), a human rights activist who stayed in South Korea as an illegal alien for nearly 18 years before his deportation in October 2009.
External links
- Society of Nepalese Students in Korea
- Non-Resident Nepalese Association of Korea
- Migrant Workers' Television Nepalese Migrant Workers in Korea, 2005 M.A. project by Sirjana Gautam Bhattarai, Chonbuk National UniversityChonbuk National UniversityChonbuk National University in Jeonju, South Korea is the Flagship Korean National University for Jeollabuk-do province, also known as Jeonbuk or Chonbuk. Chonbuk National University has been constantly recognized as one of top universities in the world ranked 501-550th in the world by QS Top...