Mass Korean immigration to the United States began in the 1950s, with a large wave occurring over the 1960s and 1970s. Koreans historically came to the
New York metropolitan area with the intention of permanently settling in the city and establishing businesses. Originally, ethnic Koreans settled in highly urbanized neighborhoods in
Manhattan and
Queens, but beginning in the 1980s, wealthier Koreans began moving to suburban communities in nearby
Bergen County, New Jersey across the
George Washington Bridge, alongside the
Hudson River—as well as to adjacent
Nassau County (on
Long Island) and
Westchester County, both locally within
New York State itself. Many ethnic Koreans moved into areas already settled by the metropolitan
Japanese community. By 1988, there were about 150,000 ethnic Koreans living in the New York City area.[9] September 2023,
Oh Se-hoon, the
mayor of Seoul, met with New York City mayor
Eric Adams in Manhattan to deepen the cultural and economic ties between Seoul and New York City.[10]
Geographic distribution
Manhattan's Koreatown is primarily a Korean business district in
Midtown Manhattan, but since 2008, the district has seen an increase in Korean and
European traffic as well,[11] and the resident Korean population in the area has grown concomitantly. There was never a formal plan or agreement to create a Korean commercial district in
Manhattan. However, given the high levels of tourist traffic stemming from its proximity to the
Empire State Building,[11]Macy's Herald Square,
Penn Station,[11]Madison Square Garden, the
Garment District, and the Flower District, amongst other Midtown Manhattan landmarks, it was an ideal location for
Korean immigrants to settle. Initiated by the opening of a Korean bookstore and a handful of restaurants in the 1980s, Koreatown sprang into being. With their success, an additional stream of Korean-owned businesses took root in the neighborhood, coinciding with increased immigration from
Korea; and with rising demand for the prime location, overall property values in the area increased as well.[11] According to the 2010 United States Census, the Korean population of Manhattan (co-extensive with
New York County) had nearly doubled to approximately 20,000 over the decade since the 2000 Census.[12] Although
Korea Way continues to represent the heart of Koreatown, situated between
Broadway,
Sixth Avenue, and
Fifth Avenue, Koreatown itself has been expanding further eastward from Fifth Avenue along
East 32nd Street, toward
Madison Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, in the direction of
Queens.[13][14][15] Koreatown, Manhattan has become described as the "Korean
Times Square" and has emerged as the international economic outpost for the Korean chaebol.[16] More broadly, Koreatown is attracting new Korean residents to the adjacent Manhattan neighborhoods of
Murray Hill,
Kips Bay, and
Rose Hill.
As the community grew in wealth and population and rose in
socioeconomic status, Koreans expanded their presence eastward along
Northern Boulevard, buying homes[5] in more
affluent and less crowded Queens neighborhoods and more recently into adjacent suburban
Nassau County, bringing their businesses with them, and thereby expanding the Koreatown itself.[2] This expansion has led to the creation of an American Meokjagolmok, or Korean Restaurant Street, around the
Long Island Rail Road station in Murray Hill, Queens, exuding the ambience of
Seoul itself.[2] The eastward pressure to expand was also created by the inability to move westward, inhibited by the formidable presence of the enormous
Flushing Chinatown centered on
Main Street.[1] Per the 2010 United States Census, the Korean population of Queens was 64,107,[17] while the Korean population of Nassau County had increased by nearly two-thirds to approximately 14,000 over one decade since the 2000 Census.[18]Korean Air and
Asiana Airlines provide
non-stop flights from
Seoul to
JFK Airport[19][20] in Queens, and the
Consulate-General of South Korea in Manhattan has played an important role in mediating travel to and from Korea by the
Korean diaspora living in the New York metropolitan area.
Korean language schools in the New York City region tend to have distinct
educational missions and clienteles, and each school has its own distinct management. Because, as of 1988, ethnic Koreans settling in New York City generally intended to permanently immigrate to the United States, the only Korean-oriented schools that year were supplementary institutions holding classes on Saturdays and Sundays.[21]
Korean churches typically hold Korean language classes for a half to one hour per week during Sundays. In addition to the churches, there are non-religious operators of Korean schools. In 1988, the
Consulate-General of South Korea in New York stated that about 40% of the Korean schools in the New York City area were non-religious.[21] The first Korean schools were established by ethnic Korean churches.[22]
Individual Korean schools
The Korean School of New York was the first secular Korean school established in the city, opening in 1973. The founder, who remained as the school's principal
academic administrator in 1988, believed that Korean language education should be separate from religion.[21] As of 1988, this school had 205 students.[23]
The Korean School of Queens originated as a church-operated school, and as of 1988, offered classes for elderly persons and children.[21] In that year, the school had 141 enrolled students.[23] As of 1988, the Korean School of New Jersey (뉴저지 한국학교) had 262 students,[23] making it the largest Korean school in the New York City area, serving students living in suburbs in
northern New Jersey.[21] In 1988, the Church of
Brooklyn Korean Language School had 120 students, the
Broadway Korean School of New York had 97 students, the
Westchester Korean School had 50 students, and the
Pearl River Korean School had 36 students.[23] In 2014, the McGoldrick Branch of the
Queens Library in
Flushing began holding Korean language classes.[24]
Korean culture
Korean cuisine
Development of Koreatown, Manhattan as a Korean dining destination
Approximately fifteen restaurants conduct business
24/7 on
Korea Way in
Koreatown, Manhattan.[25] Korean restaurants in the district have had to expand or stay open around the clock to meet rising commercial rents and stay financially viable, given the growing prestige and high customer volume generated by foot traffic in Koreatown, Manhattan, and greater investment and involvement by the Korean
chaebol.[16][26] Historically known as a more tourist-oriented alternative to the residential and somewhat suburban Flushing and
Murray Hill, Queens in the nearby
Long Island Koreatown, Koreatown in Manhattan has since developed a reputation as an authentic Korean dining destination.[26]
Recognition by chefs and authenticity of Korean cuisine in Queens
According to The New York Times, a "
Kimchi Belt" stretches along
Northern Boulevard and the
Long Island Rail Road tracks, from
Flushing, Queens, eastward into
Nassau County, in the
Long Island Koreatown. A prominent Korean food chef stated that "Queens is the closest you can come to authentic Korean food."[27] The Long Island Koreatown features numerous restaurants that serve both traditional and/or
regional Korean cuisine. The development of this Koreatown has led to the creation of an American Meokjagolmok, or Korean Restaurant Street, around the Long Island Rail Road station in
Murray Hill, Queens, exuding the ambience of
Seoul itself.[2]Korean Chinese cuisine is also available in the Long Island Koreatown.[27]
K-Pop
The
K-Pop industry is active in New York City, hosting numerous concerts in the city as well as being home to K-Pop musicians. The musical KPOP opened
Off-Broadway in 2017 and moved to
Broadway in 2022, with
Luna in the starring role, and co-starring fellow K-pop stars
Kevin Woo,
Min-Young Lee, and
Kim Bo-hyung (김보형).
Korean Americans have emerged prominently in the New York City journalism sphere. This
media subsection has been created to acknowledge this professional prominence.
Euny Hong – journalist, author of Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture (2014), which has been published in seven languages
Min, Pyong Gap and Young I. Song. "Demographic Characteristics and Trends of Post-1965 Korean Immigrant Women and Men" (Chapter 5). In: Song, Young In and Ailee Moon (editors). Korean American Women: From Tradition to Modern Feminism.
Greenwood Publishing Group, January 1, 1998. Start page 45.
ISBN0275959775, 9780275959777.
^Gina Pace (April 26, 2015).
"Koreatown in NYC is now being taken more seriously as a dining destination". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 6, 2018. Koreatown — long centered on 32nd St. between Fifth and Sixth Aves., nicknamed Korea Way — has expanded in recent months. The new
Baekjeong spot, for example, is located just east of Fifth Ave...Kihyun Lee took an even bigger gamble by opening a dual-concept spot midblock on 31st St. between Fifth and Madison Aves...
^
abSam Kim, photography by Gary He (July 31, 2018).
"NYC's K-Town Isn't What It Used to Be". Vox Media. Retrieved November 22, 2018. Most mom-and-pops are gone, and 32nd Street is now dominated by chains due to high rents and policies in Korea itself.
^
abGina Pace (April 26, 2015).
"Koreatown in NYC is now being taken more seriously as a dining destination". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 27, 2018. Koreatown — long centered on 32nd St. between Fifth and Sixth Aves., nicknamed Korea Way — has expanded in recent months. The new Baekjeong spot, for example, is located just east of Fifth Ave...Kihyun Lee took an even bigger gamble by opening a dual-concept spot midblock on 31st St. between Fifth and Madison Aves...
^Sam Sifton, Emily Weinstein, and Patrick Farrell (October 6, 2020).
"Genevieve Ko Joins Food and NYT Cooking". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2020.{{
cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)
Kim, Claire Jean. Bitter Fruit: The Politics of Black-Korean Conflict in New York City.
Yale University Press, February 1, 2003.
ISBN0300093306, 9780300093308.
Kim, Jongyun. Adjustment Problems Among Korean Elderly Immigrants in New York and Los Angeles and Effects of Resources on Psychological Distress and Status in the Family (dissertation).
ProQuest, 2008.
ISBN0549566058, 9780549566052. UMI Number 3307607.
Min, Pyong Gap. Ethnic Solidarity for Economic Survival: Korean Greengrocers in New York City.
Russell Sage Foundation, April 3, 2008.
ISBN1610443985, 9781610443982.