thumb|right|Koreatowns, like this one on [[32nd Street (Manhattan)|32nd Street in Manhattan, represent an overseas Korean diaspora and culture from the Koreans]]
A Koreatown (), also known as a Little Korea or Little Seoul, is a Korean-dominated ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area outside the Korean Peninsula.
Etymology
The New York Times coined the term "Koreatown" in 1977 to refer to the Korean neighborbood of Los Angeles. The name "Koreatown" was modeled after the older, well-established term "Chinatown", which dates back to 1606. The Korean residents of Los Angeles successfully lobbied for Koreatown to be formally recognized by Los Angeles County in 1980, and the first Koreatown sign was installed in 1982. Prior to the popularization of the name "Koreatown," Korean Americans often referred to Korean ethnic enclaves as "Korean village," a translation of the Korean term "Haninchon" (). In the early 21st century, other countries have adopted the name "Koreatown" to designate their own Korean ethnic enclaves, such as Canada recognizing Koreatown, Toronto in 2004.
History
Koreatowns as an East Asian ethnic enclave have only been in existence since the mid-1860s, as Korea had been a territorially stable polity for centuries; according to Jaeeun Kim, "The congruence of territory, polity, and population was taken for granted." Large-scale emigration from Korea was only mainly into the Russian Far East and Northeast China; these emigrants became the ancestors of the two million Koreans in China and several hundred thousand ethnic Koreans in Central Asia.
Koreatowns in the western countries such as the United States and Canada have only been in place much later with the Los Angeles Koreatown receiving official recognition in 2008. Also many Koreatowns are not officially sanctioned where the only evidence of such enclaves exist as clusters of Korean stores with Korean signage existing only on the storefronts. In the 1992 Los Angeles riots, many Korean businesses were targeted where the signage only served to point out targets for rioters. In Philadelphia's Koreatown, anti-Korean sentiment was so strong that official signage was often vandalized as residents protested the "official recognition" of such areas, making many Koreatowns across the western countries never having official statuses that many Chinatowns receive today. Many Koreatowns today exist in a suburban setting as opposed to the urban settings of Chinatown mainly because many ethnic Koreans, especially in the western countries, fear crime that is often associated with the city dwellings and the higher quality of schools as education is often a top priority, which is why the Philadelphia Koreatowns exist in suburban settings such as Cheltenham, Pennsylvania instead of its original location in the Olney section of Philadelphia.
Characteristics
The features described below are characteristic of many modern Koreatowns.
Korean signage
thumb|The Koreatown marker in [[Los Angeles]]
Many modern Koreatowns will exhibit the usage of the Korean language and Hangul on storefront signs sometimes on official highway signage. Officially sanctioned Koreatowns may also exhibit signs in the local language. In English, the word "Koreatown", "Little Korea" and "Korea Way" can sometimes be seen, as in the case with the Los Angeles Koreatown.
Korean restaurants
left|thumb|alt=A wheat noodles with a cold white broth in a stainless bowl|[[Kongguksu, a cold noodle dish with a broth made from ground soy beans]]
Many Koreatowns will have stores that serve Korean cuisine, usually serving as the major differentiator between other East Asian and Southeast Asian ethnic enclaves such as Chinatown and Little Saigons. The Korean national cuisine known today has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Southern Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula, Korean cuisine has evolved through a complex interaction of the natural environment and different cultural trends.
Korean cuisine is largely based upon rice, vegetables and meats. Traditional Korean meals are noted for the number of side dishes (banchan) that accompany steam-cooked short-grain rice. Kimchi is served often, sometimes at every meal. Commonly used ingredients include sesame oil, doenjang (fermented bean paste), soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes and gochujang (fermented red chili paste).
Locations
Korean demographics
Many Koreatowns are actual ethnic enclaves where nearly four-fifths of migrant Koreans live in just three countries: China, the United States and Mexico. Other countries with greater than 0.5% Korean minorities include Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, and Uzbekistan. All these figures include both permanent migrants and sojourners. If one focuses on long-term residents, there were about 5.3 million Korean emigrants as of 2010.