| Multiracial people in South Korea | |
| Hangul | 한국 혼혈 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 韓國 混血 |
| Revised Romanization | Hanguk honhyeol |
| McCune–Reischauer | Han'guk honhyŏl |
Multiracial people in South Korea, orMultiracial South Koreans (Korean: 혼혈honhyeol,lit. "Mixed Blood"), are residents or citizens ofSouth Korea who are of partialKorean descent, often born to one Korean parent and one non-Korean parent.
While intermarriage occurred betweenGoryeo 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 asKorean ethnic nationalism.[2] Multiracial non-royal individuals have lived inKorea since at least theJoseon period,[disputed –discuss] with one of that era's best-known cases being the first descendants of theByeongyeong Nam clan, founded by aDutchman who accompaniedHendrik Hamel.[3] Centuries later, the population of multiracial Koreans, in particular "Amerasian"war babies, rose drastically during and shortly after theKorean War.[4]
Since the mid-2010s, South Korea has seen a rise in interracial relationships between native Koreans and foreign residents and subsequentbirths 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]