Indians in Korea



Indians in Korea are the migrant diaspora from India to Korea and their locally-born descendants. A majority of them live in Seoul and Busan, and smaller populations live in other parts of Korea.

The Government of India's Ministry of External Affairs estimates the Overseas Indian population to be only 13,585 in South Korea. Only 16 Indians in North Korea are likely due to limited information from the country, as the population there consists of embassy workers.

Heo Hwang-ok: the Indian Princess & Queen of Korea
According to the 11th-century legendary chronicle 'Samguk Yusa,' Heo Hwang-ok, the consort of Suro of Geumgwan Gaya, was originally a princess of a kingdom called Ayuta. In the 20th century, Kim Byung-Mo, an anthropologist from Hanyang University, identified Ayuta with Ayodhya in India based on phonetic similarity. Several Korean lineages consider Heo Hwang-ok an ancestor, leading to Korean interest in Ayodhya and the constructing a Memorial of Heo Hwang-ok there.

In 673 CE, a Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, Yijing, who reached India, recorded that the people of the Indian subcontinent were familiar with Korea's customs and beliefs and regarded Koreans as "worshipers of the rooster." This concept about Koreans was grounded in a legend of the Silla dynasty.

Malananta: the 4th century Indian Buddhist monk in Korea


The two oldest extant histories of Korea, 'Samguk yusa' and 'Samguk Sagi,' record the following three monks among the first to bring the Buddhist teaching, or Dharma, to Korea in the 4th century during the Three Kingdoms period. These mention the following monks: Malananta (मेघानंदा, Meghananda, Melananda or cloud monk)- an Indian Buddhist monk who came via the Serindian area of southern China's Eastern Jin Dynasty. He was received by the King Chimnyu of Baekje in the southern Korea in 384 CE. King adopted Buddhism, which became the state religion. Other two monks who introduced Buddhism to the remaining two parts of the Three Kingdoms were Sundo - a monk from the northern Chinese state of Former Qin, who brought Buddhism to Goguryeo in northern Korea in 372 CE, and Ado, a monk who brought Buddhism to Silla in central Korea.

Korean War


While the Indian army did not militarily get involved in the Korean War, it sent a medical unit, the 60 Parachute Field Ambulance, which served in Korea for three and a half years (Nov 1950- May 1954), the longest single tenure by any military unit under the UN flag.

They were involved in providing medical cover alternately to the US Army/ROK forces and the Commonwealth Division under the UN Command as well as the local civilians, and earned the informal title, "The Maroon Angels.". The unit also looked after the North Korean POWs. The unit provided an ADS and a surgical team (7 officers and 5 other ranks) during Operation Tomahawk, an airborne operation launched on 21 March 1951 by the US Army's 187 Airborne Regimental Combat Team.

Towards the end of the Korean War in 1953, a reinforced brigade known as the Custodian Force of India was deployed for the repatriation of the prisoners of war and was deployed for almost two years (1953–54).

Postwar Korea
South Korea has been gaining popularity among Indian expatriates. Since the 1970s, many Indians have been coming to South Korea, and now, according to the International Migration Report, there are about 7,006 Indians living and working in the country.

In 2004, South Korea introduced the Employment Permit Scheme, allowing workers from 15 nations to work as laborers of varying skill levels in five industries: manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and livestock. South Asian countries, including India, send 25,000- 30,000 workers to South Korea for three-year periods.

Around 900 Indian-origin scientists and post-doctoral research scholars are working or conducting research at various institutions in the country.

Economic Growth
After the Korean War, there remained only 1 Indian in South Korea, a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) employee until 1966, when an Indian student came to study at Seoul National University. In the late 1960s, South Korea started exporting heavily, attracting some Indian diaspora with Sindhi traders from Hong Kong and Singapore. In the 1980s, professionals began immigrating to South Korea, and in the 1990s, South Korean universities admitted Indian students for classes and research.

The early 21st century saw prominent political figures visiting Korea from India. In April 2004, the minister of justice and minister of the court administration at the Supreme Court of Korea invited Supreme Court Justice Brijesh Kumar to visit. Later in 2004, from December 14–16, the Indian Minister of External Affairs, K. Natwar Singh, visited Seoul as a co-chair of the India-ROK Joint Connussuib, where they discussed trade opportunities and signed the Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) for 2004-2007.

The first time an Indian president visited South Korea was February 6–9, 2006, by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. He advocated for science and technology through political actions and joint ventures and performed many historic actions, namely laying a wreath at the National Cemetery Memorial and giving a speech to Yonsei University attendees. Later, he was given tours of Samsung semi-conductor facilities in Gi-heung and the Korean Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB).

Later, in July 2006, Indian political figures such as N.D. Tiwari, the Chief Minister of Uttaranchal, made more visits to Korea. In 2007, Minister Mukherjee defined India's new 'Look East' Policy and urged Indian prosperity through integrating with East Asian countries.

Skilled IT professionals and researchers
Recently, there has been an influx of skilled IT professionals, professors and researchers due to significant companies' investments in emerging technologies. South Korean companies are now keen to employ Indian engineers and offer them above-par salaries. The companies are also extending support for free housing and food.

According to officials of the Embassy of India in Koerea, over 1,000 engineers and software professionals have recently coming to South Korea, working for large conglomerates such as LG, Hyundai, and Samsung, which have today become household names back in India. Indian companies are also making inroads in South Korea. The agreement between India and South Korea on IT will leverage India's IT software capabilities and South Korea's IT hardware capabilities, resulting in an increased flow of IT professionals between the two countries. They mainly reside in Suwon, Hwaseong and Gumi where are famous for Semiconductor Industry, Smartphone, Tablet computer, 5G networking equipment, OLED display manufacturing.

Additionally, Indian nationals and Americans work at multinational offices like General Motors and Coca-Cola. The Indian company Tata Motors acquired Daewoo Commercial vehicles in 2004, opening more opportunities for Indian career immigration.

In Academic features, Indian Professors mainly read and teach Natural Science, Engineering. Most of them reside in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon and Pohang where the major universities in Korea are. Some people get Postdoctoral programmes for Engineering and Natural Science in Korea.

Professional cooks
Indian cuisine has gained popularity in Korea, requiring more than 200 Indian chefs for Indian ethnic restaurants. Most of them are Hindu, Sikhs and Muslims and they perform Punjabi, Mughlai, Buhari, Rajasthani, Kashmiri, Gujarati and Anglo Indian styles which are mainly North Indian because most of Indians in Korea are from North India such as Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana.

Most of professional cooks usually work at restaurants in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, and other cities. Some are hired by Korean owners of Indian restaurants and hotels, while others own their own restaurants.

Cultural exchange
Technology has allowed for increased cultural exchange between India and Korea, leading to increased international engagement with Korean pop culture concerning both K-pop and K-dramas. Younger generations try to speak Korean and imitate Korean styles in India, especially in Manipur. In 2017, a group from India called Mizoram’s Immortal Army competed at the K-pop World Festival held in Changwon, South Korea, and won. The fascination with South Korea increases the interest of Indians in Korea who pursue paths like acting or the idol industry.

At Korean universities, Indian students celebrate important holidays like Ganesh Chaturthi, which Hindus lead in Korea.

Notable people

 * Anupam Tripathi, actor in Squid Game
 * Aria, singer and member of K-Pop girl band, X:IN
 * Shammi Rana, rapporteur in UNESCO
 * Sriya Lenka, singer and member of K-Pop girl band, Blackswan

Organizations and associations
With close to ten thousand Indian population, Several organizations in South Korea support the Indian community. Some notable communities that are active include: 1. Indian Students and Researchers in South Korea (ISRK) - represents close to 4000 researchers, Post Docs, and students in Korea who do various activities to support student communities

2. Indians in Korea - Busan-based organization is known for organizing the Busan Holi festival

3. "IndiansInKorea" (also known as IIK) - more than 5000 members and is an umbrella organization for any Indians living in Korea, organizing events for significant holidays

4. Indian Association of Korea - mainly professionals as members

5. Annapurna Indian Women's Club (formerly known as the Indian Women's Association) - helps with community and cultural exchanges among Indians living in South Korea