Koreans in India
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 10,397 (2013) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Tamil Nadu | 3,934 |
| National Capital Region | 3,545 |
| Maharashtra | 1,042 |
| Karnataka | 880 |
| West Bengal | 209 |
| Elsewhere | 785 |
| Religion | |
| Korean Buddhism, Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Korean diaspora | |
There is a small Korean community in India, consisting largely of South Korean expatriate professionals and their families, as well as some missionaries and international students at Indian universities.
There was known to have been Korean migration to India as early as the 1950s; the Korean Association of India was founded in that decade in New Delhi by three South Koreans who had gone into exile after being released from prison in their home country. However, large-scale growth in the community did not begin until the 1990s. In 1997, the Korean community in India numbered just 1,229 people, according to South Korean government statistics; it grew somewhat by 42% to 1,745 people by 2003, but then in the next six years it nearly quintupled in size, making them the 25th-largest Korean community in the world, behind Koreans in Guatemala and ahead of Koreans in Paraguay.
Chennai was the earliest hub of the Korean community in India, thanks to Hyundai's decision to open factories there in 1995. Koreans concentrated largely in the Kilpauk township, which has acquired the nickname of "Little Korea" as a result. Later communities in Delhi and Bangalore experienced rapid growth in the 2000s. According to the 2013 statistics of South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 3,934 lived in Tamil Nadu, 3,545 lived in the National Capital Region (mainly in New Delhi, Gurgaon, and Noida), 1,042 in Maharashtra, 880 in Karnataka, and 209 in West Bengal. Only 11 held Indian citizenship.
Most corporate expatriates come for maximum three- to five-year stints before returning home. In New Delhi, major employers of South Korean expatriates include Samsung and LG Electronics. In the Chennai area, many work for Hyundai Motors and its suppliers. Some expatriates have also opened Korean restaurants, aimed largely at their co-ethnics rather than local Indians, in Chennai, New Delhi, and Bangalore, though not in Mumbai.
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