Korean in China


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Identity

The Koreans are an official minority nationality in China. They are "a completely unassimilated people who speak and write their own language, operate schools and maintain the society and culture of their homeland."


History

Koreans have long played an important role in Chinese history. A famous Korean general named Kao Hsien-chih was sent by the Imperial Court to fight the marauding Tibetan armies in AD 741. The Sui Dynasty (AD 589-618) fell soon after three disastrous and costly military campaigns in North Korea. The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) also fell, partly because the country was bankrupt as a result of the massive cost of defending Korea from the Japanese. The first wave of Korean migrants arrived in China in the late 1600s. Sizable numbers arrived later after a severe famine in North Korea in 1869. "When Koreans first arrived in China, they worked for Chinese landlords who furnished them with seed and all supplies. As this tended to throw the Koreans into debt, many of them frequently moved."


Customs

The Koreans - known as Chaoxian in China - boast the highest education rate of any of China's minorities: 43 out of 1,000 attend university. Their rate was twice as high as the national average and close to the 1979 USA level (46 out of 1,000 people).


Religion

Most Koreans in China today are atheists. In addition, there are a sizable number of Mahayana Buddhists and Christians among them.


Christianity

It is not recorded if Nestorian missionaries reached as far as Korean territory during their time in China from the seventh to the fourteenth century, but in 1927 archaeologists excavated a tomb near the present Korea-China border. "They found the remains of seven bodies and at the head of each a clay cross ... they were able to date the grave at between 998 and 1006 by Chinese coins of the Song Dynasty left with the bodies." Today there are estimated to be 600,000 Korean Christians in China, although a 1992 source listed only 122,000. Many Korean Bibles have been smuggled into China from abroad in recent years, in addition to the 189,487 printed by the government sanctioned Amity Press. Many of these Bibles have been carried across the border into North Korea.


Prayer Points

Scripture Prayers for the Korean in China.


Profile Source:   Operation China, Asia Harvest  Copyrighted ©   Used with permission  

People Name General Korean
People Name in Country Korean
Pronunciation kor-EE-un
Alternate Names Chaoxian; Chejumal; Chosun; Chosun Jok; Hanghohua; North Korean; South Korean
Population this Country 2,565,000
Population all Countries 81,959,000
Total Countries 51
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 5
Unreached No
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed
People ID 12795
ROP3 Code 105225
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 16  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country More than two million Koreans live in the northeastern part of China, especially in the provinces of Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning. Unofficial sources state there are at least three million Koreans in China. More than 74 million Koreans are found worldwide.   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 16  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country More than two million Koreans live in the northeastern part of China, especially in the provinces of Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning. Unofficial sources state there are at least three million Koreans in China. More than 74 million Koreans are found worldwide..   Source:  Operation China, 2000

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Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
25.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 14.00 %)
30.00 %
Ethnic Religions
30.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
15.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Korean
Language Code kor   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Korean
Language Code kor   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Korean

Primary Language:  Korean

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1882-1961)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1887-1983)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1911-2005)
Bible-NT Audio Online
Bible-NT Text Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Audio Recordings Online New Testament Faith Comes by Hearing
Audio Recordings Online New Testament Faith Comes by Hearing
Audio Recordings Online New Testament Faith Comes by Hearing
Audio Recordings Online New Testament Faith Comes by Hearing
Audio Recordings Online New Testament Faith Comes by Hearing
Audio Recordings Online New Testament Faith Comes by Hearing
Audio Recordings Online New Testament Faith Comes by Hearing
Audio Recordings Online New Testament Faith Comes by Hearing
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories One Story
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Korean Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Four Spiritual Laws Campus Crusade for Christ
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Walk with the Prophets and meet the Messiah Al Massira
General Zume Resources Zume Project
Photo Source Tycho Atsma - Unsplash 
Profile Source Operation China, Asia Harvest  Copyrighted ©   Used with permission  
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.