| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 12,690 (2015)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Kuala Lumpur
| [2] |
 Selangor
| [2] |
 Johor
| [3] |
 Sabah
| [4] |
 Sarawak
| [5][6] |
| Languages | |
| Korean, English, Malay[7] | |
| Religion | |
| Mainly Mahayana Buddhism,[8] Christianity[9] and other minorities | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Korean diaspora | |
Koreans in Malaysia numbered 12,690 individuals as of 2015[update], making them the 22nd-largest community of overseas Koreans, and the 5th-largest in Southeast Asia.[1]
The history of Koreans in Malaysia goes back almost half a century; Malaysia and South Korea established diplomatic relations in 1960, and in the following decade, when Malaysia faced a shortage of doctors, a number of foreign doctors, including Koreans and Filipinos, were authorised to practise in Malaysia.[10][11] Some construction workers, pilots, and sailors were also sent to the country.[12]
The Korean community in Malaysia consist mostly of migrants working in South Korean companies, as well as an increasing number of international students.[13] The number of retirees coming under the Malaysia My Second Home immigration programme has also been increasing.[2] Most Korean residents are concentrated in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, especially in Ampang, where a Koreatown is beginning to sprout.[14] The popularity of Korean dramas in Malaysia has meant an increasingly friendly reception for Korean migrants by local people.[13] Real estate investment is another factor drawing Koreans to migrate to Malaysia, due to the taxes imposed on people who own more than two properties in Korea; Malaysia is the second most popular market for overseas real estate investment by Koreans, after the United States.[2]
Around 200,000 South Korean tourists came to Malaysia in 2006; Kota Kinabalu was their most popular destination.[11] About 1,800 to 2,000 Koreans reside in Sabah, most of them in Kota Kinabalu.[4] Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal project in Kimanis, Papar has brought South Korean employees of Samsung Engineering to work and live there until the terminal completion in December 2013.[15]
There were also some North Koreans working in Sarawak in the mine industry.[5] This was revealed after a tragedy that killed one and injuring seven others North Koreans in 2014.[6] By September 2017, the state Immigration Department has confirmed there are no more North Koreans working in Sarawak with the coal mine also had stopped their operation.[16]
Roughly 2,000 of the Koreans in Malaysia are students; Malaysia's multicultural environment offers them the chance to practise English as well as study other languages such as Chinese or Malay; they describe the educational environment as being more relaxed than in Korea. Korean churches form an important part of their social life.[7][9] Their parents also prefer Malaysia to other countries for several reasons. The low cost of living and education in Malaysia is a major pull factor; Parents also believe Malaysia offers a better environment for English study than neighbouring countries. A representative from one Seoul company which helps to arrange overseas study for local students estimated that 90% of Korean students going to Southeast Asia choose Malaysia as their destination. However, some international schools have stopped accepting Korean students because they have become too large a proportion of their student bodies.[13] In many cases, mothers come to Malaysia with their young school-age children, while the breadwinning father remains behind in South Korea and sends money to support them.[17]
Malaysia's first officially registered weekend school for Korean nationals, the Malaysia Korean School, was established on 7 December 1974; it had 26 teachers and enrolled 148 students as of 2006[update]. It was located on Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur.[18] The first day school for Korean families, the Korean School of Malaysia, opened in Cyberjaya in 2016.[19]
