List of people of Korean descent

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This is a list of notable Koreans or notable people of Korean descent.

In Korean names, the family name is placed first (for example, the family name of "Park Ji-Sung" is "Park"), unless the person has decided to Westernize his or her name.

Artists[]

Visual artists[]

Media artists[]

• Paik Nam-June

Dancers[]

• Young Soon Moon
• Sujin Kang
• Hong 10, professional break dancer
• Halla Pai Huhm
• Hee Seo

Filmmakers[]

• Ahn Byeong-ki
• Bong Joon-ho
• Hong Sang-soo
• Im Kwon-taek
• Jang Joon-hwan
• Kim Jee-woon
• Kim Ki-duk
• Lee Chang-dong
• Park Chan-wook
• Nelson Shin
• Song Hae-sung
• Yoon Je-kyoon

Poets and authors[]

Fashion designers[]

• Andre Kim
• Richard Chai
• Cho Young Wan
• Laura Kim (Oscar De La Renta) (Monse)^{[citation needed]}

Businesspeople[]

• Ahn Cheol-Soo
• Cho Yang-ho
• Choi Tae-won
• Chung Ju-yung
• Chung Mong-hun
• David Chang
• Euh Yoon-dae
• Lee Byung-chul
• Lee Kun-Hee
• Koo In-hwoi
• Shin Kyuk-ho
• Shin Dong-bin
• Sohn Suk-hee
• Chung Ju-yung
• kim Beom-soo
• Rim Ji-hoon

Entertainers[]

Actors[]

• John Cho
• Ken Jeong
• Awkwafina
• Baek Sung-hyun
• Shin Hyun-joon
• Seo Ji-hoon
• kim Jung-hyun
• Park Seo-joon
• Kim Rae-won
• Go Jun
• Joo Jin-mo
• Sung Dong-il
• Sandra Oh
• Randall Park
• Lee Min-ki
• Go Yoon
• Jang Hyuk
• Jae Suh Park
• Gong Yoo
• Jang Keun-suk
• Jung Il-woo
• Jung Joon-ho
• Jun Ji-hyun
• Daniel Dae Kim
• Daniel Phillip Henney
• Kang Ha-neul
• Kang Ki-young
• Kim Woo Bin
• Ko Seong-il
• Lee Jun-ho
• Lee Byung-hun
• Lee Jin-wook
• Lee Dong-wook
• Lee Min-ho (born 1987)
• Lee Jong-suk
• Kim Yong-gun
• Kim Ji-seok
• Park Bo-gum
• Park Si-hoo
• Song Joong-ki
• Song Hye-kyo
• Philip Ahn
• Shin Ha-kyun
• Ryu Si-won
• Kim Jung-hyun
• Jung Woo-sung
• kwon Yul

Comedians[]

Models[]

• Hyoni Kang
• Lee Pa-ni
• Sung Hi Lee
• Ju Ji-hoon

Singers[]

Classical musicians[]

• Chang Han-na
• Chang, Sarah
• Chung Myung-whun
• Chung Kyung-wha
• Caroline Fischer
• Stefan Jackiw
• Jo Su Mi
• Hong Hei-kyung
• Paik Kun-Woo
• Seong-Jin Cho
• John Myung

Historical Leaders[]

Lawyers[]

• Song Sang-Hyun, President of the International Criminal Court (ICC)

Politicians[]

• Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations
• Park Jung-Hee, President, 1963–1979
• Chun Doo-hwan, President, 1980–1988
• Roh Tae-woo, President, 1988–1993
• Kim Young-sam, President, 1993–1998
• Kim Dae-jung, President, 1998–2003
• Roh Moo-hyun, President, 2003–2008
• Lee Myung-bak, President, 2008–2012
• Park Geun Hye, President, 2013–2017
• Moon Jae-in, President, 2017–present
• kim Boo-kyum
• Cho Tae-yong, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations.^[1]
• Lee Hoi-chang
• Lee Hun Jai
• Lee Hae-chan
• Hwang Kyo-ahn
• Kim Moo-sung
• Kim Il-Sung, Leader of The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, 1948–1994
• Kim Jong-Il, Supreme Leader of The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, 1994–2011
• Kim Jong-Un, Supreme Leader of The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, 2011–present

Religious leaders[]

• Andrew Kim Taegon (August 21, 1821 – September 16, 1846), first Korean-born Catholic priest, canonized on May 6, 1984 by Pope John Paul II in the Republic of Korea
• David Yonggi Cho – Founder/Pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church
• Hae Jong Kim – Bishop of the United Methodist Church
• Nicolas Cheong Jin-Suk – Roman Catholic Archbishop of Seoul (1998–present)
• Paul Kim (Anglican bishop) – Anglican Primate of Korea and Archbishop of Seoul (2009–present)
• Sun Myung Moon – Founder of the Unification Church
• Dora Kim Moon – Community organizer in Hawaii

Scholars, Philosopher and Social Activists[]

• Kim Yong-ok, philosopher
• Ham Seok-heon
• Ko Un
• Lee Yuksa
• Moon Ik-hwan
• Hwang Sok-yong
• Jang Jun-ha
• Kwon Young-ghil
• Roh Hoe-chan
• Jeon Tae-il
• Ha Soo Whang, Korean social worker in Hawaii
• Maria Whang, educator and community organizer in Hawaii

Scientists and Engineers[]

• Lee Sang-mook, geologist and oceanographer
• Kim Soon-kwon, corn biologist
• Hwang Jun-muk, mathematician of algebraic geometry and differential geometry
• Kim Jeong-han, mathematician
• Benjamin W. Lee, theoretical physicist
• Woo Jang-choon, agricultural scientist and botanist
• Philip Kim, physicist
• Kim Bit-nae-ri, biologist
• Hongkun Park, chemist
• Donhee Ham, electrical engineer
• Joon Yun, radiologist
• ^{[citation needed]}, world-renowned ophthalmologist
• Incheol Shin, cancer researcher
• ^{[citation needed]}, mathematician

Athletes[]

• Ahn Jung-Hwan, footballer
• Birdie Kim (born Kim Ju-yun), LPGA player and 2005 Women's Open champion
• Im Dong-hyun, archery
• Byung-hyun Kim, former MLB player
• Chan Sung Jung, mixed martial arts
• Cha Bum-Kun, footballer in Bundesliga
• Chan-ho Park, MLB player
• Choo Shin-Soo, MLB player, plays for the Texas Rangers
• Dong Keun Park, legendary Taekwondo Champion of the 1960s^[2]
• Ha Seung-Jin, professional basketball player currently playing in the Korean Basketball League
• Hee Seop Choi, former MLB player, currently plays in South Korea's Professional Baseball League
• Hines Ward, American football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Hong Myung-Bo, footballer
• Hong-Man Choi, K-1 professional kick boxer
• In Jin Chi, professional boxer, former WBC world champion
• Kim In-kyo, footballer
• Lee Sunghyun, Kickboxer
• Jae-Kwon Hwang^{[citation needed]}, known as Ca-Hwang, footballer
• Jay Dee "B.J." Penn, professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner; first American gold medalist of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship and former UFC Lightweight and Welterweight Champion
• Jim Paek, pro ice hockey player
• Jong Song-Ok, North Korean; championship of Marathon in 1999
• Joo Se Hyuk, Table tennis, defensive chopper
• Jung Kil Kim, taekwondo champion
• Ki Soo Kim, professional boxer, first Korean world champion (WBA, WBC)
• Kim Yuna, figure skater; 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist
• Lee Chun-Soo, footballer
• Lee Hyung-Taik, tennis player
• Lee Sung-hyun, kickboxer
• Lee Seung-Yeop, NPB baseball player
• Lee Yong-Kyu, baseball player
• Lydia Ko, LPGA player
• Michelle Wie, Korean-American LPGA player
• Mi Hyun Kim, LPGA player
• Moon Dae-Sung, 2004 Olympic Taekwon-Do Gold medalist
• Myung Jae Nam, Hapkido master, founder of Hankido (1938–1999)
• Nam Sung-yong, marathon Runner; 1936 Olympic Bronze Medalist
• Park Ji-Sung, footballer, first ever Korean to win the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League with Manchester United.
• Park Sung-hyun, Olympic medal winner Archery
• Park Tae-hwan, swimmer
• Ryu Hyun-Jin, professional baseball player, currently playing in Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB
• Se Ri Pak, LPGA player
• Seol Ki-hyeon, footballer
• Sohn Kee-Chung, marathon Runner; 1936 Olympic gold medalist
• Son Heung-min, footballer at Tottenham Hotspur, captain and gold medalist at the 2018 Asian Games.
• Sun-Woo Kim, baseball player
• Lee Sang-hyeok, (Faker) professional e-sports player; mid laner on SKT T1
• Yoo Hyeong-jong, footballer

Korean people from other countries[]

• List of Korea-related topics
• Korean people
• List of Goguryeo people
• List of Baekje people
• List of Silla people
• List of Goryeo people
• List of Joseon Dynasty people
• List of Korean Americans
• List of Korean Canadians
• List of people by nationality

References[]