# Multiracial people in South Korea

Multiracial people in South Korea, or Multiracial South Koreans (Korean: 혼혈 honhyeol, lit. "Mixed Blood"), are residents or citizens of South Korea who are of only partial Korean descent, often born to one Korean parent and one non-Korean parent.

## History

While intermarriage occurred between Goryeo royals and leading families of the Yuan court during Mongol rule from the 13th century, a persistent concept of Korea as ethnically and culturally homogenous has prevailed in Korea, and continues as Korean ethnic nationalism. Multiracial non-royal individuals have lived in Korea since at least the Joseon period, with one of that era's best-known cases being the first descendants of the Byeongyeong Nam clan, founded by a Dutchman who accompanied Hendrik Hamel. Centuries later, the population of multiracial Koreans, in particular "Amerasian" war babies, rose drastically during and shortly after the Korean War.
Since the mid-2010s, South Korea has seen a rise in interracial relationships between native Koreans and foreign residents and subsequent births 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.

## Terminology

There are many terms by which multiracial South Koreans are either referred to by monoracial Koreans, or identify with themselves. Below is a list of frequently used terms.

### In Korean

* Honhyeol (혼혈, lit. "Mixed blood") — The most-common term used to identify and refer to individuals of partial Korean heritage. It comes from the Hanja-eo reading of the Chinese word 混血 hùnxiě.
** Hanbaek-honhyeol (한백혼혈, lit. "Korean-White mixed blood") — A derivative of the term 혼혈 honhyeol used to identify multiracial people of mixed White (European) and Korean descent. The additional "한백" hanbaek is a contraction of the words 한국 (hanguk, lit. "Korea") and 백인 (baegin, lit. "White people").
** Hanheuk-honhyeol (한흑혼혈, lit. "Korean-Black mixed blood") — Another derivative of the term "혼혈", used to identify multiracial people of mixed Sub-Saharan African and Korean descent. The additional "한흑" hanheuk is a contraction of the words 한국 (lit. "Korea") and 흑인 (heugin, lit. "Black people").
* Hapeu (하프, lit. "Half") — Korean transliteration of the English word "half" used to describe people of half-Korean origin. Very uncommon.
* Kopino (코피노, Korean-Filipino) — A contraction of the ethnonyms "Korean" and "Filipino", used to refer to Asians of a multi-ethnic Korean and Filipino background.

### In other languages

* Amerasian — An American term used to refer to multiracial people born to an East Asian or Southeast Asian mother and a U.S. military father.
* Afro-Asian — A term used to refer to peoples of mixed Sub-Saharan African and Asian descent.
* Blasian — A more colloquially used term to refer to people of mixed Sub-Saharan African and Asian descent. The term "Blasian" is a portmanteau of "Black" and "Asian". The term was first coined in 2001 by Zak Heaton, a Korean adoptee raised in an African American family. Since then, "Blasian" has become associated with multiracial Afro-Asian individuals, as well as Black and Asian partners in interracial relationships.
* Eurasian — A term used to refer to people of mixed European (White) and Asian descent.
* Wasian — Also spelled "whasian", "Wasian" is a portmanteau of "White" and "asian, and is used to refer to people of mixed European and Asian ancestry. Similar to how "Blasian" is often used in place of its more formal alternative, Wasian is a colloquial term often used in place of "Eurasian".
* Hapa — A Hawaiin transliteration of the English word "half", used often by multiracial people of partial Asian descent.
* Korinoy — Filipino translation of the Korean term "kopino", used to refer to people of multi-ethnic Korean and Filipino origin.

## Notable people

* Insooni (Kim In-soon, born 1957), African American and Korean
* Stephen Park, White and Korean
* Hines Ward (born 1976), African American and Korean
* Yoon Mi-rae (born 1981), African American and Korean
* Michelle Lee (born 1991), African American and Korean
* AleXa (born in 1996), White American and Korean
* Vernon (Choi Han-sol, born 1998), White American and Korean
* Nancy (born in 2000), White American and Korean
* Jeon Somi (born 2001), Dutch-Canadian and Korean
* Han Hyun-min (born 2001), Nigerian and Korean
* Jin Hyeon-ju (born in 2001), Filipino and Korean
* Kyla (born in 2001), White American and Korean
* Huening Kai (Jung Hawon, born 2002) White American and Korean
* Bae Yujin (born 2002), Nigerian and Korean
* Lily (born in 2002), White Australian and Korean
* Danielle (born in 2005), White Australian and Korean
* Jenny Park (born 2006), Nigerian and Korean
* Ella Gross (born in 2008), White American and Korean