Koreatown

The Koreatown marker in Los Angeles, California.

Koreatown (Korean: 코리아타운) is a term to describe the Korean ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area. Other terms may be such as Little Seoul or Little Korea.

Argentina

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires´ primary Koreatown is in the neighborhood of Flores, specifically within the enclave called Bajo Flores. The primary artery of this Koreatown is Carabobo Avenue, which houses various Korean businesses and organizations, including restaurants, beauty salons, and churches, among others. .

Australia

Sydney, New South Wales

Sydney's primary Korea Town is located in the heavily immigrant populated sub-urban areas of Campsie, New South Wales, Eastwood, New South Wales and Strathfield, New South Wales. These suburbs and surrounding areas are famous for their Korean population which have created a strong cultural identity for the community. These areas are home to a number of Korean speaking business and retail stores which include the commonly found Korean restaurants, video stores, hairdressers and supermarkets.

Other important Korean commercial areas are located the suburbs of Parramatta and Chatswood which are relatively in the West and North CBDs of Sydney. The intersection of Bathurst Street and Pitt Street in Sydney City CBD (Central Business District) is also becoming a popular area for Korean commercial activity which once again include restaurants, karaoke, supermarkets and hairdressers.

Australia's Korean population is estimated to be around 150,000.

Adelaide, South Australia

Adelaide's Koreatown is of many small Korean businesses who are stationed in Adelaide. The heavy Korean migration is in central Adelaide and inner suburbs. The Korean population is estimated in Adelaide to be about 5,500.

Melbourne, Victoria

Melbourne's new Korea Town is located in sub-urban area of Boxhill, Victoria and Northern area of Melbourne CBD. This suburb have the highest concentration of Victoria's Korean population and Korean businesses.

Canada

Toronto, Ontario

Main article: Koreatown, Toronto

Toronto's primary Korea Town is located on Bloor Street, roughly between Bathurst and Christie Streets; very few Koreans, however, actually live in this area. The first Korean store in Toronto (Barton Premium Supermarket or Hangook Shikpoom Bonjom closed October 2004 but moved to its current location, P.A.T. Central Mkt @675 Bloor St W) was situated at 721 Palmerston Avenue just north of Bloor in this area in the early 1970s, eventually leading to more stores and restaurants concentrating in this area. The first Korean restaurant, Korea House, is still located on 666 Bloor Street West.

A secondary concentration may be found on Yonge Street, between Sheppard Avenue East and north of Steeles Avenue East A large Korean supermarket, Galleria Supermarket is located on Yonge and is now developing into a Korean Cultural Centre as well. The success of Galleria has led to a brand new supermarket called H-Mart, located on Yonge St. just south of Major Mackenzie Dr., which opened in December 2007.

It is estimated that there are around 130,000 Koreans living in Toronto. The Korean community continues to have a strong presence in Canada's largest city. There are a large number of Korean students who study in Toronto, thus the frequency of seeing Koreans not only in Koreatowns but everywhere across the city and its suburbs.

Chile

Santiago

The Korean population is mostly concentrated in Patronato. Currently, approximately 3000 Koreans live in Chile. The Korean community is well organized and united. Colonia Coreana organizes several events annually. Among these events are: soccer tournaments, Korean festivals, and the annual Mr. and Ms. Patronato.

China

Beijing

There are more than 120,000 Koreans live in Beijing. Prominent areas include Wudaokou (Chinese: 五道口; pinyin: Wǔdàokǒu; Korean: 오도구(우따오커우)), and Wangjing (Chinese: 望京; pinyin: Wàngjīng, Korean: 망경(왕징)).

Hong Kong

The Koreatown is located in Kimberley Street in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Also there is a Korean settlement in Lei King Wan, Shau Kei Wan

Qingdao

100,000 Koreans live in Qingdao.

Shenyang

Shenyang has a large Koreatown known as Xita/Seotap (Chinese: 西塔, Korean: 서탑／西塔) meaning Western Pagoda.

Shanghai

65,000 Koreans live in Shanghai. Longbai in the Minhang district, to the west of the city, has a Korean oriented neighborhood.

Indonesia

A 31,000 M² Koreatown block is being constructed on north Jakarta Pulomas. Upon its completion, it will be the first artificially-made KoreanTown in the world with 7 blocks and 9 buildings.

Koreans in Indonesia number approximately 40,000, which makes Indonesia the 12th largest country with Koreans living outside of Korea.

Japan

Main article: Koreantowns in Japan

During the 1910 to 1945 colonial period, approximately 2.4 million ethnic Koreans emigrated to Japan for economic reasons, though some brought over forcibly during the Second World War to work as laborers. While most departed after the war, many chose to remain in hopes of better economic prospects, and were joined in the 1950s by a wave of refugees from Jeju Island. Today, Koreans, known as Zainichi Koreans (재일조선인, who on paper retain the nationality of the old Korea) or Zainichi Koreans (재일한국인, who have adopted South Korean nationality), are the largest ethnic minority in Japan, amounting to 620,000 in 2002. Those with North Korean ties are a key source of remittances to North Korea. There is a separate group of more recent migrants from South Korea with strong links to their home country, and there is a considerable cultural gap between these so-called "new-comers" and Zainichi Koreans.

Osaka

Main article: Ikuno Koreatown

The Korean enclave in the city of Osaka, numbering over 90,000, is by far the largest in Japan, concentrated in the Ikuno Ward, where 25% of the inhabitants are of Korean origin. Tsuruhashi in the Ward is the most famous Koreatown in Japan, and is dominated by Jeju Islanders. Imazato-Shinchi is an area increasingly dominated by recent South Korean "new-comers". The total Korean population in Osaka prefecture amounted to 150,000 in 2002.

Tokyo

Main article: Shinokubo Koreatown

According to official statistics in 2002, the Korean population in Tokyo amounted to 80,000, which was the second largest following that of Osaka.

Unlike other Japanese Koreatowns, the Korean-oriented commercial district around Shin-Okubo Station in Shinjuku Ward developed after World War II, and is dominated by "new-comers" - recent immigrants from South Korea who have retained their ethnic and cultural identity, as can be seen from the ubiquitous signs written in hangul. Other immigrants from China, Taiwan, South East Asia and various other nationalities makes this one of the most colourful and multicultural areas in Tokyo.

The area around Mikawashima station on the Jōban Line, to the north of the city, is a Koreatown dominated by Zainichi immigrants from Jeju island.

Also noteworthy is a smaller-scale Zainichi Korean quarter to the southeast of Ueno station, and to the southwest, a community of South Korean "new-comers".

Kawasaki

Approximately 6,000 South Korea and North Korea nationality people live in central Kawasaki. Although most have assimilated, it remains one of the largest concentrations of Korean-Japanese in Eastern Japan.

Kyoto

A small Koreatown has developed in the Gion neighborhood (the Geisha district) of Kyoto. Kyoto prefecture is home to approximately 38,000 ethnic Koreans in 2002.

There are several Korean restaurants, businesses, churches and organizations, in the west of Kyoto city, in the neighborhoods south of Saiin station, on the Hankyu Railway line.

Shimonoseki

Green Mall in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi is a Koreatown. It is also known as "Little Pusan" partly because of the Kanpu Line, a regular ferry that goes to Pusan, and annually holds the Little Pusan Festival.

Malaysia

Ampang

Ampang is an area long known for its large number of Korean expatriates. Koreans in Malaysia have opened restaurants, churches, and grocery stores there, specifically in the area around Ampang Point. Mont Kiara located southwestern of downtown Kuala Lumpur also houses a significant number of Korean businesses.

Philippines

Main article: Koreans in the Philippines

Metro Manila

Many Korean establishments such as restaurants and bars can be found in Makati City's Burgos St. which is regarded as the area's red light district. Korean video stores, groceries, and even spas can be found in the aforementioned locale. Those who frequent these places range from Korean tourists in the Philippines to long time residents. Due to the popularity of English language schools that cater specifically to Koreans, many such institutions, with varying degrees of credentials are found sprinkled all over the Metro.

United Kingdom

London, England

New Malden has probably the largest single expatriate community of South Koreans in Europe. According to the Korean Residents Society, the Korean population in Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is about 3,500 to 4,500, mostly in New Malden, out of a total borough population of 157,900; some sources cite the population as high as 20,000 to 32,000. There is also a growing population in Golders Green, North-West London.

United States

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is now home to the fastest-growing Korean community in the United States; migrants include not only those from Korea itself, but also Korean-Americans from other parts of the country, notably New York/New Jersey, California, Illinois, and the Washington D.C. area. From 1990 to 2000, Georgia experienced an 88.2% growth in its Korean population, far surpassing the growth rate of any other state. [1] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Koreans in Georgia was 30,000 in 2000, but this number has grown drastically and is now expected to be a maximum of 150,000, which would make Georgia the state with the second-largest Korean population in the United States, behind California.[2] Estimates show that this number is expected to rise to more than 200,000 in the next two or three years. [3]

An older Korean commercial district is located in in Doraville, on a six-mile (10 km) stretch of Buford Highway that is home to the greatest concentration of ethnic businesses in the Southeast. However, the area is not exclusively Korean; in the area are also many Chinese and Vietnamese businesses. A second center for ethnic Koreans has arisen further north in suburban Duluth near the Gwinnett Place area. In 2002-2003, no fewer than four large-size retailers like Super H-Mart opened in the region, and this number continues to grow steadily today. The Park Village shopping center anchored by the flagship Super-H Mart in the area remains the core of this development, though many Korean businesses and shopping centers now dominate the triangle formed by Pleasant Hill Road, Steve Reynolds Boulevard, and Satellite Boulevard. The area along Peachtree Industrial Boulevard further west in the city of Duluth also has shopping centers with majority Korean businesses. Various Korean shops have also sprouted up next to the new Super-H Mart in Johns Creek and near Assi Plaza on the Duluth-Suwanee border. With the construction of H&Y Marketplace off North Berkeley Lake Road and a new Assi Plaza off Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth, as well as a new Super-H Mart in Suwanee, the new Koreatown in Gwinnett County will likely continue its explosive growth.

Korean retailer Mega Mart has just announced plans to lease a 240,000-square-foot (22,000 m²) space in Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth for its first store in the United States.[4]

The vast majority of Koreans in the metro Atlanta area live in western Gwinnett County, home to 43% of the region's Koreans and 32% of the Koreans living in Georgia. The cities of Duluth and Suwanee have particularly large Korean populations. North Fulton County also has a large population, particularly in Johns Creek and Alpharetta. There are also substantial populations in Dekalb County and east Cobb County, with a growing presence in south Forsyth County.

Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore's Little Korea (often referred to, perhaps redundantly, as "Little Koreatown") is a collection of Korean restaurants, groceries, bars and some residences that straddles the Charles Village and Charles North neighborhoods. The area is not recognized by city government and thus has no official boundaries, but it is generally located between North Avenue and 25th Street to the south and north and Howard Street and Calvert Street to the west and east.

There is a large Korean population in the northern suburb Cockeysville, and in Ellicott City and Columbia, MD.

Bergen County, New Jersey

One of the largest immigrant groups in Bergen County is the Korean American community, which is concentrated along the Hudson River - especially in the area near the George Washington Bridge - and represents over half of the state's entire Korean population. Palisades Park boasts the highest percentage (36.38%) and total number (6,065) of Koreans among all municipalities in the state, while neighboring Fort Lee has the second largest cluster (5,978) and third highest proportion (17.18%, trailing Leonia's 17.24%). Eight of the nation's top ten municipalities by percentage of Korean population are located in Bergen County, including Palisades Park, Leonia, Fort Lee, Ridgefield, Closter, Norwood, Edgewater, and Englewood Cliffs. Overall, sixteen of the top twenty communities on that list are located in Bergen; virtually all are in the eastern third of the county near the Hudson River.

In addition, the commercial districts of several communities — including Palisades Park, Fort Lee, Cliffside Park, Ridgefield, Leonia, and to a lesser extent Englewood Cliffs, Edgewater, and Fairview — collectively function as a sprawling suburban Koreatown for northern New Jersey, drawing shoppers from throughout the region. There is also an entrenched Korean population in the Northern Valley, especially in Tenafly, Cresskill, Demarest, Closter, Norwood, and Old Tappan, as well as in several inland boroughs, including Paramus, Rutherford, and Little Ferry.

Boston, Massachusetts

Although Boston doesn't have an official Korea Town, the Boston neighborhood of Allston (Streets: Harvard Ave. and Brighton Ave.) features many Korean restaurants, PC rooms, salons/barber shops, cosmetic stores, bakeries, karaoke rooms, etc. that cater to the thousands of Korean college/grad students in the greater Boston area.

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago's main Korean commercial district lies on a particular stretch of West Lawrence Avenue in the Albany Park community area. In the 1990s, the city officially nicknamed the stretch "Seoul Drive," and added brown street signs proclaiming the honorary name above the regular green Lawrence Avenue street signs at certain intersections. Other Korean commercial districts exist on Bryn Mawr Avenue, Lincoln Avenue between Foster and Devon, and in the suburbs of Niles and Morton Grove, where one of Chicagoland's two Super H Mart stores is located.

Though traditionally Korea town is known to be on the stretch of lawrence avenue, the korean population seemed to move more and more north in the Chicagoland Suburbs through the past few years.

Dallas, Texas

Main article: Koreatown, Dallas, Texas

A sizable Koreatown can be found in Dallas, though this mostly commercial area of the city has not been officially designated as such. Instead, large signs situated at the intersection of Harry Hines Boulevard and Royal Lane proclaim the area as the "Asian Trade District." The signs also feature depictions of a red and blue "taeguk," a symbol that is prominently featured on the national flag of South Korea, thereby acknowledging the specifically Korean affiliation of the district. This area in the northwest part of the city is characterized by a large number of Korean-owned businesses serving the city's sizable Korean American community. Although, Korean business is undoubtedly the most dominant in the area, there are isolated Chinese and Vietnamese businesses as well.

Many Korean Americans don't actually reside in the Dallas Koreatown, despite the concentration of Korean American commercial enterprise there. Most of the Korean Americans in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metropolitan area reside in the urban areas out and around the district, such as Irving and Arlington. As a result of this, there are relatively few Korean churches in the actual district, often considered the social centers of Korean American communities. Most Korean churches are scattered throughout the metroplex throughout cities such as Richardson, Fort Worth, Arlington, Euless, Plano, Carrollton, Irving etc. Instead, one can find a large number of Korean restaurants, cafes, Korean-style karaoke bars (noraebang) featuring song selections in Korean and English, bars serving soju and fried chicken, Korean grocery stores (including the large Komart grocery store on Royal Ln.), gift shops featuring popular Asian cartoon paraphernalia, and discount retail stores throughout the district.

The influx of these Korean-owned businesses into the area within the past two decades has been credited with revitalizing a once-deteriorating Dallas neighborhood, previously characterized by adult entertainment centers and prostitution. Some remnants of this past can still be seen in the area today. The Sam Moon shopping center, specializing in leather goods and household items, is one Koreatown establishment that proved remarkably popular with non-Korean Americans. Its proprietor has since opened store locations in outlying Dallas suburbs, such as Frisco.

In addition to Koreatown, smaller concentrations of Korean businesses can be found in the Dallas suburbs of Garland (most notably at the intersection of Walnut St. and Plano Rd.) and Richardson (more notable for its large Chinese and Vietnamese American shopping centers along Greenville Ave. between Arapaho Rd. and Belt Line Rd.), Irving, and the Ft. Worth suburb of Arlington, among others. The newest and fastest growing Korean business district is clustered around the Super H Mart located at the intersection of the President George Bush Turnpike and Old Denton Road in Carrollton.

Indianapolis, Indiana

Not officially considered a Koreatown, although one part of the city has had a strong Korean influence since the late 1980s. It is located in the northeastern part of Indianapolis. Korean churches are spread out and scattered throughout the Lawrence and Warren township areas.

The intersection of Pendleton Pike and Post Road (just a block from Fort Benjamin Harrison) is considered the heart of "Koreatown" because of the many Korean businesses consisting of popular restaurants, grocery stores, and Korean video stores which specialize in the rental of imported TV shows and films. These stores also combine as gift shop selling imported Korean items. Since the early 2000s, the Hispanic community has made a growing presence in the "heart" of "Koreatown" making the area much more ethnically diverse.

Los Angeles, California

Main article: Koreatown, Los Angeles, California

The Greater Los Angeles Area is home to the largest number of ethnic Koreans outside of Asia. Koreatown is an officially recognized district of the city and contains probably the heaviest concentration of Korean residents and businesses. However, when the term "Koreatown" is used it usually refers to a larger area that includes the adjacent neighborhoods of Wilshire Center, Harvard Heights and Pico Heights. Koreans began to move into the area in the late 1960s after changes in the US Immigration laws, establishing numerous businesses although never outnumbering Latino residents. Other large Korean communities are Arcadia, Cerritos, Diamond Bar, Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights and Walnut. Also are found in North-central sections of Long Beach, the South Bay area in proximity to other east Asian neighborhoods, the San Gabriel Valley such as Korean language storefront signs in Alhambra, and the San Fernando Valley mostly in the community of North Hollywood.

Miami, Florida

There are two Korean Towns. The larger Korea Town is located around Hollywood Boulevard and U.S. Route 441 in Hollywood, Florida (near Florida's Turnpike). There are Korean grocery markets, hair salons, video stores, karaoke, and restaurants in the area, as well as several nearby Korean churches.

A smaller Korea Town is located in downtown Miami, just north of Overtown. It is predominantly an industrial area, with many warehouses and Korean import/export businesses. It also has a selection of Korean eateries.

New York City

Main article: Koreatown, Manhattan

The area around Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) and 32nd Street in Manhattan has emerged as an enclave of Korean restaurants and businesses. It is this neighborhood, near Herald Square, which is usually named as New York's Koreatown. However, a significant Korean population and commercial center can be found in Queens, especially in neighborhoods such as Sunnyside, Woodside, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Bayside, Fresh Meadows and Flushing. Another large concentration is located just over the George Washington Bridge in Bergen County, NJ.

Although commonly referred to as Koreatown, "K-Town" by locals, the proper nomenclature for the Sixth Avenue/32nd Street area is "Korea Way," as evidenced by the street signs there.

Orange County, California

Main article: Little Seoul

Orange County's Koreatown (known as Little Seoul) is located in Garden Grove along Garden Grove Boulevard between Brookhurst Street and Beach Boulevard. Other significant Korean enclaves in Orange County include Buena Park, Cypress, Fullerton, Irvine, and La Palma.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Olney neighborhood in Philadelphia is recognized as the largest Korean American enclave in the city. Korean businesses are congregated on 5th Street, north of Roosevelt Boulevard. There are also other Korean business strips along Cheltenham Avenue, Tabor Road, and Castor Avenue. In the suburbs, Cheltenham, Pennsylvania (which is on the other side of the city line from Olney) and Upper Darby, Pennsylvania have significant Korean American populations and businesses that target the Korean American community.

San Diego, California

Korean businesses and institutions in San Diego are most concentrated in the Kearny Mesa neighborhood between Interstate 805 and State Route 163, particularly along Convoy Street between Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and Balboa Avenue. The 2000 census reported approximately 12,000 residents of Korean ethnicity in San Diego County. [5]

Spain

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

The city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the largest city in the Canary Islands, Spain, is currently home to over 1500 Koreans (over 7000 at its peak), and has the largest concentration of Koreans in Spain. As most Koreans originally came to work in the fishing industry, most Korean companies and businesses are located around the port area of Puerto de La Luz. However, most Koreans live in the more affluent neighborhoods of Avenida Mesa y Lopez, Madera y Corcho, Siete Palmas and Avenida Maritima.

External links

• List of Korean-American churches
• Ordinances discriminating against Korean immigrants.
• Asian-Nation: Asian American Ethnic Enclaves & Communities by C.N. Le, Ph. D.
• An article in the Washington Post about Washington, D.C.'s unofficial "Koreatown" in Annandale, Virginia.
• Korean Residents Union in Japan (MINDAN) (Korean, Japanese, English)
• Online Newspaper covering Zainichi Korean and Mindan (English)

See also

• Chinatown
• Little Manila
• Japantown
• Little Saigon
• Little India
• List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities
• List of Korea-related topics
• Itaewon
• Europe Street