There were 1.0 million Korean immigrants residing in the United States in 2007, making them the seventh largest immigrant group. The number of Korean immigrants increased dramatically from 11,171 in 1960 to over 1 million in 2007. Over half of all Korean immigrants live in just four states: California, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. The vast majority of Korean immigrants are from South Korea, with less than 1% originating from North Korea.

1. Korean Immigrants

2. • The number of Korean immigrants in the United States grew
27-fold between 1970 and 2007, from 38,711 to 1.0 million,
making them the seventh largest immigrant group in the
United States after Mexican, Filipino, Indian, Chinese,
Salvadoran, and Vietnamese foreign born.
• Almost all Koreans in the United States are from South Korea,
and over half of all Korean immigrants reside in just four
states: California, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia

3. Size and Distribution
• There were 1.0 million foreign born from Korea residing
in the United States in 2007.
• Korean immigrants made up 2.7 percent of all
immigrants in 2007.
• The majority of Korean immigrants are from South Korea.
• Over half of all Korean immigrants resided in California,
New York, New Jersey, and Virginia.

4. Demographic and Socioeconomic
Overview
• About one of every four Korean foreign born in the United
States arrived in 2000 or later.
• Over two-thirds of Korean immigrants in 2007 were adults of
working age.
• Korean immigrant women outnumbered men in 2007.
• The majority of Korean immigrants were naturalized US
citizens in 2007.

5. • Fifty-seven percent of Korean immigrants in 2007
were limited English proficient.
• More than half of Korean foreign-born adults had
a bachelor’s or higher degree.
• Korean immigrant men and women were less
likely to participate in the civilian labor force than
foreign-born men and women overall.
• About 40 percent of employed Korean-born men
worked in management, business, finance, and
sales.

6. Legal and Unauthorized Korean Immigrant Population
• About 350,000 Koreans have gained lawful permanent
residence in the United States since 1990.
• Over half of Korean-born lawful permanent residents in 2007
were employment-based immigrants.
• Korean-born lawful permanent residents made up 2.2 percent
of all those eligible to naturalize as of 2006.
• In 2007, 2 percent of all unauthorized immigrants in the
United States were from Korea.
• The number of unauthorized immigrants from Korea
increased 31 percent between 2000 and 2007.
• Size and Distribution

7. • There were 1.0 million foreign born from Korea residing in the
United States in 2007.
• The 1960 census counted 11,171 Korean immigrants, a number that
increased 93-fold to 1,042,580 Korean immigrants in 2007. The
Korean born were the seventh-largest foreign-born group in the
United States in 2007 after immigrants from Mexico, the
Philippines, India, China, El Salvador, and Vietnam.
• Korean immigrants made up 2.7 percent of all immigrants in 2007.
• In 1960, Korean immigrants composed 0.1 percent of all foreign
born in the United States. That share increased to 2.1 percent in
1980 and to 2.9 percent in 1990. Korean immigrants’ share declined
to 2.8 percent in 2000 a

8. Total and Korean Foreign-Born
Populations, 1960 to 2007
• Year Foreign born
• Korean born
• Rank (a) Share of all foreign born Number
• 1960 9,738,091 44 0.1% 11,171
• 1970 9,619,302 37 0.4% 38,711
• 1980 14,079,906 10 2.1% 289,885
• 1990 19,797,316 8 2.9% 568,397
• 2000 31,107,889 7 2.8% 864,125
• 2007 38,059,555 7 2.7% 1,042,580
• Notes: (a) Rank refers to the position of the Korean born compared to other
immigrant groups in terms of size of the population residing in the United States in
a given census year.
• Source: Data for 2000 from the 2000 census; 2007 data from the American
Community Survey 2007. Data for earlier decades from Campbell Gibson and Emily
Lennon, "Historical Census Statistics on the Foreign-Born Population of the United
States: 1850 to 1990" (US Census Bureau Working Paper No. 29, US Government
Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1999). Available online.

9. The majority of Korean immigrants are from South Korea.
• The American Community Survey, which provides population data between decennial census years,
does not distinguish between immigrants born in South Korea from immigrants born in North
Korea.
• During the 2000 census, however, respondents were given the option of listing their place of birth
as "Korea," "South Korea," or "North Korea." About 82 percent of Korean immigrants in 2000 listed
their birthplace as "Korea," 18 percent listed "South Korea," and less than 1 percent listed "North
Korea."
• Since 2000, the United States has admitted 37 North Koreans as refugees (as of December 31,
2007). In 2004, the United States passed the North Korean Human Rights Act, which affirms that
North Koreans are eligible for refugee status or asylum in the United States.
• Although it does not impose any quota on the number of refugees or asylees admitted from North
Korea, the United States remains cautious about resettling a large number of North Korean
refugees fearing espionage or other sensitive activities.
• Since 2000, the United States has also admitted about 257 North Koreans on temporary visas, the
majority of which were tourists and business travelers; the number also includes about 23 students
and exchange visitors.