Koreans in Paraguay

<h2 id="migration-history">Migration history</h2>
The first Korean immigrants to Paraguay came from <a href="/facts/Busan/rHbfkIA3">Busan</a> on a two-month journey by sea to <a href="/facts/Buenos_Aires/9lUVmS7f">Buenos Aires</a> and then overland to <a href="/facts/Asunci%C3%B3n/SS4v1g4f">Asunción</a>, finally arriving on 22 April 1965.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3">3</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a> Exact numbers of migrants are difficult to calculate because Paraguay offered on-the-spot visas to all foreigners and did not distinguish between those who came to settle in the country as opposed to those who intended to remain only temporarily; 120,000 Koreans arrived in Paraguay between 1975 and 1990, according to official figures, but many migrated onwards to Brazil, both legally and <a href="/facts/Illegal_immigration/bSFppH6r">illegally</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a> Paraguay's 1982 census showed 2,700 Koreans in Paraguay, but this was believed to have undercounted the actual population by as much as an order of magnitude.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a> By 1999, <a href="/facts/South_Korea/pCobAaVw">South Korea</a>'s <a href="/facts/Ministry_of_Foreign_Affairs_and_Trade_(South_Korea)/tUB6cTgg">Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade</a> estimated that 10,428 Koreans resided in the country, but by just two years later, that figure fell by more than 40% to 6,190.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a>
The population continued to decline after that, though less sharply; as of 2009<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Koreans_in_Paraguay&action=edit">[update]</a>, Koreans in Paraguay had fallen to the fifth-largest group of Koreans in Latin America, and 24th largest in the world.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a> Between 2009 and 2011, the population remained roughly stable. Of the 5,205 South Korean nationals or former nationals in Paraguay in 2011, 499 had become <a href="/facts/Paraguayan_nationality_law/Au0zarbh">Paraguayan nationals</a>, the vast majority (4,641 persons) had permanent residency, 16 were <a href="/facts/International_student/hN9335EI">international students</a> and 49 had other kinds of visas.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a>

<h2 id="business-and-employment">Business and employment</h2>
The early Korean migrants who settled in Paraguay engaged in a variety of agricultural and commercial work, including <a href="/facts/Beekeeping/7mewsgqp">beekeeping</a> and <a href="/facts/Door-to-door/GLVxRd0r">door-to-door</a> sales of imported clothing.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a> By the early 1980s, many were involved in importing consumer electronics as well.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a> Some also opened <a href="/facts/Convenience_store/LpWjFLqc">convenience stores</a> in poorer neighbourhoods; they gained attention for remaining open through the <a href="/facts/Siesta/nrLyjmMp">siesta</a>, unlike many of their competitors.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a> The second generation has largely moved away from manual labour or small retail business and entered into the liberal professions, such as medicine, law, pharmacy, architecture and accountancy.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a>

<h2 id="language-and-education">Language and education</h2>
Koreans in Paraguay opened their own school in 1972, the Colegio Coreano del Paraguay (파라과이한국학교), to provide cultural and language education to their youth.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a> It is located in the <a href="/facts/San_Vicente_(Asunci%C3%B3n)/gIJkcI6r">San Vicente</a> neighbourhood of Asunción.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15">15</a> A <a href="/facts/Korean_American/enJdsk1A">Korean American</a> <a href="/facts/Presbyterianism/LdbUk62a">Presbyterian</a> church opened another school, the Colegio Presbiteriano Cerritos, in <a href="/facts/Villa_Elisa_(Paraguay)/1eam44bQ">Villa Elisa</a> (in the Asunción metropolitan area) in 1992.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16">16</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17">17</a>
Little <a href="/facts/Language_shift/KdY9f9ov">language shift</a> is observed from Korean-dominance to Spanish-dominance among members of the Korean community in Paraguay, including those born locally; this contrasts sharply with the rapid shift from Korean-dominance to English-dominance among <a href="/facts/Korean_American/enJdsk1A">Korean Americans</a>, especially of the second generation.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18">18</a> Many Koreans in Paraguay send their children to study in universities in the United States and Europe; as of 2007, there were also roughly 100 Paraguay-born Koreans studying at universities in <a href="/facts/South_Korea/pCobAaVw">South Korea</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19">19</a> They typically view English, rather than Spanish, as the most prestigious and economically important language to learn.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20">20</a>

<h2 id="religion">Religion</h2>
Korean Christian missionaries are active among indigenous communities in <a href="/facts/Alto_Paran%C3%A1/4v9Tw5DY">Alto Paraná</a> department.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21">21</a> Korean churches in Ciudad del Este include Jardín del Dios and Iglesia de la Asamblea de Dios.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:22" href="#fn:22">22</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:23" href="#fn:23">23</a>

<h2 id="notable-people">Notable people</h2>
<ul><li>Daniel Chung, sports journalist</li>
<li>Daiana Cubilla Lee, Miss Paraguay 2009 runner-up</li>
<li>Alice Park, Miss Paraguay pageant participant and model</li>
<li>Yolanda Park, journalist and TV host for TV Canal 9</li></ul>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Paraguay%E2%80%93South_Korea_relations/wDfvw4fa">Paraguay–South Korea relations</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Namuwiki/DzkbAJF7">Namuwiki</a>, Paraguay-based Korean wiki website</li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li>(in Korean) <a href="http://www.parschool.or.kr/">Colegio Coreano del Paraguay</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">Lesser, Jeffrey (23 May 2001), "Asians in South America", in Ember, Melvin; Ember, Carol R. (eds.), Countries and their Cultures, Macmillan Library Reference, ISBN 978-0-02-864950-4, retrieved 2008-10-02 <a href="978-0-02-864950-4" target="_blank">978-0-02-864950-4</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">재외동포현황 - 중남미 [Status of overseas compatriots - Central/South America], Overseas Korean Foundation, 2005, archived from the original on 2009-04-14, retrieved 2008-09-27 <a href="재외동포현황 - 중남미" target="_blank">재외동포현황 - 중남미</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">Park, Chae-soon (2007), "La emigración coreana en América Latina y sus perspectivas" (PDF), Segundo Congreso del Consejo de Estudios Latinoamericanos de Asia y de Oceania, Seoul: Latin American Studies Association of Korea, archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-17, retrieved 2008-09-27 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120217010906/http://www.lasak.or.kr/CELAOfiles/papers/Session3/Park%20Chae%20Soon%5BSession3-2%5D.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20120217010906/http://www.lasak.or.kr/CELAOfiles/papers/Session3/Park%20Chae%20Soon%5BSession3-2%5D.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
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<li id="fn:5">Lesser, Jeffrey (23 May 2001), "Asians in South America", in Ember, Melvin; Ember, Carol R. (eds.), Countries and their Cultures, Macmillan Library Reference, ISBN 978-0-02-864950-4, retrieved 2008-10-02 <a href="978-0-02-864950-4" target="_blank">978-0-02-864950-4</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
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<li id="fn:7">재외동포현황 - 중남미 [Status of overseas compatriots - Central/South America], Overseas Korean Foundation, 2005, archived from the original on 2009-04-14, retrieved 2008-09-27 <a href="재외동포현황 - 중남미" target="_blank">재외동포현황 - 중남미</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">재외동포현황 [Current Status of Overseas Compatriots], South Korea: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2009, archived from the original on 2010-10-23, retrieved 2009-05-21 <a href="재외동포현황" target="_blank">재외동포현황</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">재외동포 본문(지역별 상세), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2011-07-15, p. 171, retrieved 2012-02-25 <a href="재외동포 본문(지역별 상세)" target="_blank">재외동포 본문(지역별 상세)</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">Espínola González, Zulma (2002), "La presencia coreana en Paraguay" (PDF), Corea del Sur: una puerta para el Paraguay, Banco Central del Paraguay, archived from the original (PDF) on 2003-07-24, retrieved 2008-10-02 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20030724165749/http://www.bcp.gov.py/gee/investman/zeg/koreapyzeg.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20030724165749/http://www.bcp.gov.py/gee/investman/zeg/koreapyzeg.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
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<li id="fn:12">Espínola González, Zulma (2002), "La presencia coreana en Paraguay" (PDF), Corea del Sur: una puerta para el Paraguay, Banco Central del Paraguay, archived from the original (PDF) on 2003-07-24, retrieved 2008-10-02 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20030724165749/http://www.bcp.gov.py/gee/investman/zeg/koreapyzeg.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20030724165749/http://www.bcp.gov.py/gee/investman/zeg/koreapyzeg.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">Park, Chae-soon (2007), "La emigración coreana en América Latina y sus perspectivas" (PDF), Segundo Congreso del Consejo de Estudios Latinoamericanos de Asia y de Oceania, Seoul: Latin American Studies Association of Korea, archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-17, retrieved 2008-09-27 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120217010906/http://www.lasak.or.kr/CELAOfiles/papers/Session3/Park%20Chae%20Soon%5BSession3-2%5D.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20120217010906/http://www.lasak.or.kr/CELAOfiles/papers/Session3/Park%20Chae%20Soon%5BSession3-2%5D.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">Park, Chae-soon (2007), "La emigración coreana en América Latina y sus perspectivas" (PDF), Segundo Congreso del Consejo de Estudios Latinoamericanos de Asia y de Oceania, Seoul: Latin American Studies Association of Korea, archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-17, retrieved 2008-09-27 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120217010906/http://www.lasak.or.kr/CELAOfiles/papers/Session3/Park%20Chae%20Soon%5BSession3-2%5D.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20120217010906/http://www.lasak.or.kr/CELAOfiles/papers/Session3/Park%20Chae%20Soon%5BSession3-2%5D.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
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<li id="fn:18">Choi, Jinny (May 2007), "English as an International Language: its power, influence, and effect on Koreans living abroad — A comparative study on language maintenance and language shift among Koreans in Paraguay and Koreans in the United States", The Inaugural Global EIL Congress — English as an International Language: Setting the Standards, The Asian EFL Journal, archived from the original on 2008-05-11, retrieved 2008-10-02 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080511190843/http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/conference_book_2007.swf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20080511190843/http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/conference_book_2007.swf</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:19">Park, Chae-soon (2007), "La emigración coreana en América Latina y sus perspectivas" (PDF), Segundo Congreso del Consejo de Estudios Latinoamericanos de Asia y de Oceania, Seoul: Latin American Studies Association of Korea, archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-17, retrieved 2008-09-27 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120217010906/http://www.lasak.or.kr/CELAOfiles/papers/Session3/Park%20Chae%20Soon%5BSession3-2%5D.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20120217010906/http://www.lasak.or.kr/CELAOfiles/papers/Session3/Park%20Chae%20Soon%5BSession3-2%5D.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:20">Choi, Jinny (May 2007), "English as an International Language: its power, influence, and effect on Koreans living abroad — A comparative study on language maintenance and language shift among Koreans in Paraguay and Koreans in the United States", The Inaugural Global EIL Congress — English as an International Language: Setting the Standards, The Asian EFL Journal, archived from the original on 2008-05-11, retrieved 2008-10-02 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080511190843/http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/conference_book_2007.swf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20080511190843/http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/conference_book_2007.swf</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
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<li id="fn:23">"Iglesia coreana dona equipos", ABC, 2011-02-26, archived from the original on July 16, 2012, retrieved 2011-03-13 <a href="https://archive.today/20120716024555/http://www.abc.com.py/nota/iglesia-coreana-dona-equipos/" target="_blank">https://archive.today/20120716024555/http://www.abc.com.py/nota/iglesia-coreana-dona-equipos/</a> <a href="#fnref:23" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Koreans in Paraguay open-in-new

Koreans in Paraguay