Koreans in Indonesia
| Total population |
|---|
| 31,760 (2009) |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Jakarta, Tangerang, Surabaya, Bandung |
| Languages |
| Religion |
| Christianity, Buddhism; small minority Islam |
| Related ethnic groups |
Koreans in Indonesia numbered 31,760 individuals as of 2009, making them the 13th-largest population of overseas Koreans, according to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; some local population estimates put their numbers even higher, at as many as 50,000 people.
Migration history
The Korean presence in Indonesia goes back several decades. The Jakarta International Korean School in East Jakarta opened on 1 February 1975, and as of 2007 enrolled 719 elementary school students, 357 middle school students, and 375 high school students. It is thus the largest Korean day school in Southeast Asia, at more than twice the enrollment of the one in Ho Chi Minh City. A Koreatown began to form in South Jakarta's Kebayoran Baru subdistrict as early as 1982, when Kim Woo-jae opened a shop selling kimchi and doenjang.
Distribution
Aside from the Koreatown in Kebayoran Baru, several thousand Koreans also live in the vicinity of Tangerang, 20km west of Jakarta; a large number of Korean businesses are concentrated in the Lippo Karawaci development, where 80% of all shops are Korean-owned. In the Jakarta area, residential distribution of Koreans is often based on profession; for example, those near Tangerang are involved in shoe manufacturing, while those in Bekasi work in the electronics industry. Bogor and Cibubur also have large concentrations of Koreans. Farther away from Jakarta, Korean nationals are also served by two other weekend schools, the Surabaya Hangul School (founded 1 January 1989, enrolling 42 students at the kindergarten and elementary levels), and the Bandung Hangul School (founded 1 March 1992, enrolling 66 students at the kindergarten through middle school levels). Semarang is another area mentioned as having a large number of Koreans, though they lack any Korean-language educational facilities there. Bali, a popular destination for Korean tourists, has also begun to attracting some scattered Korean entrepreneurs.
Religion
The directory of the Korean Association in Indonesia listed 14 Korean churches (of various denominations including Presbyterianism) and one Buddhist temple of the Jogye Order in the Jabodetabek area. Muslims form a smaller minority of the Korean community. The Indonesian branch of the Korean Muslim Federation opened in 1982; they sponsored 22 Muslims from South Korea to come to Indonesia as students in 1983 and 1984 to study in local universities and better understand Islam. According to their figures, as of 2005, there were only 50 Korean Muslims in Indonesia, including those who had converted while living there.
See also
References
External links
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreans_in_Indonesia
