Koreans in Japan

Koreans in Japan
Koreans in Osaka, Japan in 1938
Total population
4,000,000 (total population including Koreans with Japanese citizenship)
  • 432,444 (only including Korean citizens living in Japan in December 2024)
  • South Korea: 409,238
    (in December, 2024)
  • North Korea: 23,206
    (December 2024)
Details
  • Special Permanent Residents: 281,295 people
  • General permanent residents: 75,771 people
  • Technology/humanities/international services: 24,298 people
  • Study abroad: 14,906 people
  • Japanese spouse, etc.: 11,907 people
  • Family stay: 9,108 people
  • Permanent resident: 7,224 people
  • Business and management: 2,681 people
  • Specific activities: 2,013 people
  • Spouse of permanent resident: 2,109 people
Regions with significant populations
Tokyo (Shin-Ōkubo· Osaka Prefecture (Ikuno-ku)
Languages
Japanese · Korean (Zainichi Korean· Jeju
Religion
Buddhism · Shinto · Korean shamanism · Christianity · Irreligion
Related ethnic groups
Other Koreans, especially Sakhalin Koreans
Koreans in Japan
North Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl재일 조선인
Hancha在日朝鮮人
Transcriptions
Revised RomanizationJaeil Joseonin
McCune–ReischauerChaeil Chosŏnin
South Korean name
Hangul재일 한국인
Hanja在日韓國人
Transcriptions
Revised RomanizationJaeil Hangugin
McCune–ReischauerChaeil Han'gugin
Japanese name
Kanji在日韓国・朝鮮人
Kanaざいにちかんこく・ちょうせんじん
Transcriptions
RomanizationZainichi Kankoku/Chōsenjin

Koreans constitute the second largest ethnic minority group in Japan after Chinese immigrants. The majority of Koreans in Japan are Zainichi Koreans, often known simply as Zainichi: ethnic Koreans who immigrated to Japan during the Japanese rule of Korea and are citizens or permanent residents of Japan, and their descendants. Other waves of Korean immigration have occurred, both before and after, most recently during the 1980s.