PEOPLE

Although a variety of different Asian peoples had migrated to the Korean Peninsula in past centuries, very few have remained permanently, so by 1990 South Korea was among the world's most ethnically homogeneous nations.

Most South Koreans live in urban areas, due to rapid migration from the countryside during the country's rapid economic expansion in the 1970s through 1990s. The population has also been shaped by international migration. Although small, the percentage of non-Koreans has been increasing with just over 1 million foreigners living in Korea in 2007.

Koreans tend to equate nationality or citizenship with membership in a single, homogeneous ethnic group or "race". A common language and culture also are viewed as important elements in Korean identity.

Interesting fact
Korean farmers have a hard time finding a wife, as few women want to live in the countryside. Farmers are forced to look abroad to find their wife, most from the much poorer Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe. For the year 2006, 41% of the marriages amongst the farmers were to foreign nationals.

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