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Multiracial people in South Korea

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Multiracial people in South Korea
Hangul
한국 혼혈
Hanja
韓國 混血
Revised RomanizationHanguk-honhyeol
McCune–ReischauerHanguk-honhyŏl

Multiracial people in South Korea (Korean대한민국의 혼혈 사람; HanjaDaehanmingugui honhyeol-saram), or Multiracial South Koreans, are residents or citizens of the Republic of Korea of mixed race origins, being of only partial Korean descent.

History

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While intermarriage occurred between Goryeo royals and leading families of the Yuan court during Mongol rule from the 13th century,[1] a persistent concept of Korea as ethnically and culturally homogenous has prevailed in Korea, and continues as Korean ethnic nationalism.[2] Multiracial non-royal individuals have lived in Korea since at least the Joseon period,[disputeddiscuss] 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.[3] Centuries later, the population of multiracial Koreans, in particular "Amerasian" war babies, rose drastically during and shortly after the Korean War.[4]

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.[5][6]

Terminology

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There are several common terms multiracial South Koreans to identify or label themselves, or monoracial Koreans use to refer to such individuals. The most prevalent term is 혼혈 ('honhyeol'), a Sino-Korean word that comes from the Hanja 混血, meaning 'mixed blood'.[7] From this first term, several others have emerged. Multiracial individuals of African and Korean descent may use terms such as 한흑 혼혈 (hanheuk-honhyeol; Hanja: 韓黑 混血), which adds 韓한 (han; Korea) and 黑/흑 (heuk; black (color)) or 블래시안 (beullaesian), which is the word "Blasian", a portmanteau of 'black' and 'Asian', transliterated into the Korean alphabet. Individuals of European and Korean descent might use terms such as 한백 혼혈 (hanbaek honhyeol; Hanja: 韓白 混血), adding 韓白/한백 (white Korean), or 와시안 (Wasian) and 유라시안 (yurasian; 'Eurasian'). Western, and specifically American terms, such as Amerasian, Afro-Asian, and Eurasian, are also used.

Notable people

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  • Insooni (Kim In-soon, born 1957), African American and Korean
  • Stephen Park, White and Korean
  • Hines Ward (born 1976), African American and Korean
  • Yoon Mi-rae (born 1981), African American and Korean
  • Michelle Lee (born 1991), African American and Korean
  • Vernon (Choi Han-sol, born 1998), White American and Korean
  • Jeon Somi (born 2001), Dutch-Canadian and Korean
  • Huening Kai (Jung Hawon, born 2002) White American and Korean
  • Han Hyun-min (born 2001), Nigerian and Korean
  • Bae Yujin (born 2002), Nigerian and South Korean

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kim, Djun Kil (2005). The history of Korea (1st ed.). Westport, Conn. (US): Greenwood Press. p. 78. ISBN 9780313038532.
  2. ^ Shin, Gi-Wook (2006). Ethnic nationalism in Korea: genealogy, politics, and legacy. Stanford (US): Stanford University Press. pp. 1–21. ISBN 9780804754071.
  3. ^ 성씨 · 본관별 인구(5인 이상) 전국, Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) (in Korean). Retrieved 26 July 2024
  4. ^ "Mixed Race Children in 1960s-70s Korea and ECLAIR", Presbyterian Historical Society. Retrieved 26 July 2024
  5. ^ "South Korea sets new record for world's lowest fertility rate, despite spending billions to stem population slide". South China Morning Post. Reuters. 28 February 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  6. ^ Minsung Kim (31 October 2022). "The Growth of South Korean Soft Power and Its Geopolitical Implications". Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs JIPA. Air University Press. eISSN 2576-537X. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  7. ^ '혼혈', Naver Korean-English Dictionary. Retrieved 26 July 2024