Multiracial people in South Korea

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Multiracial people in South Korea
Hangul
혼혈
Hanja
混血
Lit.mixed blood
RRhonhyeol
MRhonhyŏl

Multiracial people in South Korea, or Multiracial South Koreans (Korean: 혼혈), 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

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Princess Noguk, pictured with King Gongmin, of the Mongol-lead Yuan dynasty married into Goryeo nobility.

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,[disputed – discuss] 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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In South Korea

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  • 혼혈 Honhyeol – "혼혈(混血)" is a term that means "mixed blood". It is the most common term used for mixed Koreans. It can be paired in many ways to reflect a person's specific heritage.
    • 중국 혼혈 Jungguk-honhyeol – Chinese-Koreans
    • 일본 혼혈 Ilbon-honhyeol – Japanese-Koreans
    • 백인 혼혈 Baegin-honhyeol – White Koreans
    • 흑인 혼혈 Heugin-honhyeol – Black Koreans
  • 반반이 Banbani – "Halfie", considered outdated and offensive
  • 하프 Hapeu – "Half", borrowed directly from English
  • 잡종 Chapjong – "Mongrel", outdated and offensive, used mostly in North Korea.

Social perception

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Race in South Korea

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Main article: Race (human categorization)

Race (Hanja: 人種, Korean: 인종 injong) is the categorization of various human groups based on arbitrary phenotypical features or cultural attributions.[7] 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".[8] Although this framework on race was heavily Sinocentric, it persisted in the region untl 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.[9]

Discrimination and social stigma

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Main articles: Racism in South Korea and Minorities in South Korea

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 lead to a demographic shift in the country. Most foreign residents in South Korea are of foreign nationals of Korean ancestry (Gyopo) from China, Central and Southeast Asia.[10]; "Black Koreans" (흑인 혼혈 heugin-honhyeol) and "White Koreans" (백인 혼혈 baegin-honhyeol) are less common, in comparison.

South Korea is one of the few developed countries to not have anti-discrimination laws,[11] 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.[12][13] The lived reality of multiracial individuals and their families contradicts this, however. Cases of bullying, workplace discrimination, and physical assault.

Notable people

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  • Insooni (Kim In-soon, born 1957), South Korean singer (African American and Korean descent)
  • Stephen Park, lawyer and businessman (European and Korean descent)
  • Hines Ward (born 1976), American football coach (African American and Korean)
  • Yoon Mi-rae (born 1981), American-born 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 descent)
  • Vernon (Choi Han-sol, born 1998), South Korean singer and member of boy band Seventeen (American and Korean descent)
  • Nancy (born in 2000), South Korean singer and actress (Irish-American and Korean descent)
  • Jeon Somi (born 2001), Canadian and South Korean singer (Dutch-Canadian and Korean)
  • Han Hyun-min (born 2001), South Korean model (Nigerian and Korean)
  • Jin Hyeon-ju (born in 2001), South Korean singer (Filipino and Korean descent)
  • Kyla (born in 2001), South Korean singer (American and Korean descent)
  • Huening Kai (Jung Hawon, born 2002), South Korean singer (American and Korean descent)
  • Bae Yujin (born 2002), South Korean model (Nigerian and Korean)
  • 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)

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. ^ https://anthroholic.com/major-races-of-the-world?srsltid=AfmBOop3o1GtETt_fY-owh4PRmmPlpnDD5YX_GOZbTBlC3AHdYTxTodJ
  8. ^ University of California, Berkley Hua-Yi DIstinction
  9. ^ Francesca Cabiddu (2023) "The Americanization of South Korea: U.S. influence on South Koreans' daily life"
  10. ^ MinSoo Kim-Bossard (2018), "Challenging Homogeneity in Contemporary Korean Immigrant Women, Immigrant Laborers, and Multicultural Families"
  11. ^ Hyein Ellen Cho, Eva Richards (Oct 20, 2023) "Why South Korea Can't Pass Anti-discrimination Laws"
  12. ^ Song Seung-hyun, Korea Herald (2025) "'It's just subtle, not serious': What Koreans miss when downplaying racism
  13. ^ Ko 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"