French people in Korea

There is a small community of French people in Korea.

French people in Korea
Total population
5,343 (2015)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Seoul
Languages
French, Korean
Religion
Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
French people

History

French people began coming to Korea as early as the seventeenth century, when French Catholic missionaries first came to the country.[2] However, most missionaries came after the 1886 establishment of relations between France and the Joseon dynasty; the treaty signed between the two countries gave French missionaries the right to evangelise in Korea.[3][4]

Distribution

There were an estimated 5,343 French nationals in South Korea as of 2016.[5] Most are employed by French multinationals operating in the country. The largest concentration can be found in the Seorae Village in Seoul's Seocho-gu district, which because of its location on a hill is often compared to Montmartre in Paris. Korea's only school using French as the medium of instruction moved there in 1984.[6] Most French children only attend elementary or middle school in Seoul, but then return to France afterwards.[7]

In September 2009, the Seoul metropolitan government announced a five billion-won plan to renovate the area and make it more attractive to foreign residents by widening pedestrian walkways and putting up more signs in French.[7] One portion of the pavement, starting from the entrance to Bangbae Middle School, is painted in red, white and blue, the colours of the flag of France.[8]

Notable people
gollark: It's just decorative, really.
gollark: Bye!
gollark: Interestingly, JavaScript was "designed" in something like 10 days.
gollark: They just called it JavaScript to capitalize off Java's popularity at the time.
gollark: Java is to JavaScript as car is to carpet.

See also

References
  1. 2009년도 출입국통계연보, South Korea: Ministry of Justice, 2009, retrieved 2011-03-21
  2. The Gospel in All Lands, Methodist Episcopal Church Missionary Society, 1890, pp. 413–414
  3. Choe, Jong-go (December 2006), "구한말의 주한 프랑스인 사회 - 《뮈텔주교일기》를 중심으로/French Society in the Late Chosŏn Era - based Bishop Mutel's Diary", Journal of the Research Foundation of Korean Church History, 27: 79–117, retrieved 2007-05-31
  4. Yi, Jin-gu (December 2006), "조불조약이 초기 개신교의 선교활동에 미친 영향/The Impact of the Korean-French Treaty on Protestantism in the Late 19th Century", Journal of the Research Foundation of Korean Church History, 27, retrieved 2007-05-31
  5. "No melting pot, but Seoul still flavored with several dashes of migrant communities", Korea.net, 2006-12-19, retrieved 2007-05-31
  6. Lee, Kyung-Taek (2006), "French Village in Banpo-dong", Korean Broadcasting System, retrieved 2007-05-31
  7. Min, Ines (2009-09-02), "Costly Changes Impress Few Seorae Residents", The Korea Times, retrieved 2009-09-03
  8. Lee, Annabelle (2009-12-11), "The world within Seoul", Korea Herald, retrieved 2009-12-11


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