Koreans in Brunei
 Traditional Korean royal wedding ceremony | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 3,927 (2023)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Brunei | |
| Languages | |
| Korean; English; Malay | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Buddhism, Irreligion, Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Koreans, Korean diaspora |
Koreans in Brunei (Korean: 브루나이 한국인들) form one of the smallest Korean diaspora communities in Southeast Asia. According to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there were 3,927 Korean nationals residing in Brunei in 2023.[1] The community is largely made up of businesspeople, skilled professionals, educators, diplomatic staff and short-term contract workers.
History
Formal diplomatic relations between Brunei Darussalam and the Republic of Korea were established on 1 January 1984, shortly after Brunei's independence.[2] Since then, bilateral co-operation has expanded in areas such as energy, investment, information and communications technology, education and tourism.
South Korean companies have periodically operated in Brunei, particularly in the energy and industrial services sectors, prompting short-term postings of Korean technical staff and corporate personnel. Growth in tourism and cultural exchange during the 2010s and early 2020s also contributed to increased visibility of Korean visitors and temporary residents. Despite these ties, Brunei has not been a major destination for long-term Korean migration; most Koreans in the country are temporary or contract-based residents.
Demographics
Detailed nationality-level breakdowns are not routinely published in Brunei's national census, and reliable public data on the Korean community are limited. The figure of 3,927 residents is drawn from South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2023), making Koreans a very small expatriate group in Brunei.[1]
Typical categories of Korean residents in Brunei include:
- corporate employees on overseas postings;
- project-based technical and industrial workers;
- educators and language instructors;
- small business operators and service providers;
- diplomatic and administrative staff and their dependants.
Brunei's demographic profile—where foreign nationals constitute a substantial share of the workforce affects Koreans as it does other expatriate communities. Pathways to permanent settlement or citizenship are tightly regulated and seldom available to non-Malay, non-Muslim migrants; consequently, long-term settlement among Koreans is uncommon.[3]
Religion
Koreans in Brunei follow a range of faiths common in Korea, principally Christianity and Buddhism, along with non-religious identities; a small number may adhere to Islam. Brunei is an Islamic state where Sunni Islam is the official religion and public life is strongly influenced by Islamic norms. Non-Muslim religious practice is permitted but regulated, with restrictions on proselytisation and the establishment of new non-Muslim places of worship.[4]
As with other expatriate groups, Korean residents typically practise non-Islamic faiths privately or within multi-national or international congregations. There are no known Korean-specific religious institutions in Brunei due to the small community size.
Community and cultural life
The Korean community in Brunei is small and largely dispersed. It does not support extensive Korea-specific infrastructure such as dedicated Korean schools or large cultural centres. Nevertheless, Korean culture maintains a presence through:
- small Korean-run restaurants and cafés;
- the popularity of K-Pop, K-Drama and Korean food among some Bruneian residents and visitors;
- occasional Korean language classes provided by private tutors or cultural programmes;
- cultural events and outreach organised or supported by the South Korean embassy or consular offices.
Korean expatriates commonly socialise within the broader expatriate community, which includes sizeable Filipino, Indonesian, Chinese and South Asian populations.
Relations with Brunei
Bilateral relations between Brunei and South Korea remain constructive. Areas of co-operation include energy (notably LNG and related contracts), investment and technological collaboration, tourism, and educational exchanges which facilitate student mobility between the two countries. High-level visits and official exchanges have sustained diplomatic and economic ties.
See also
- Korean diaspora
- Brunei–South Korea relations
- Koreans in Malaysia
- Koreans in Singapore
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Koreans Abroad (Brunei)". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (South Korea). Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ↑ "Brunei–Republic of Korea Relations". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Brunei). Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ↑ Ullah, Akhter; Asiyah, A. (2018). "Diaspora and Identity in Brunei Darussalam" (PDF). Journal of Asian and African Studies. 53 (4): 569–583. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ↑ "Religion in Brunei". Brunei Religious Affairs Department. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
External links
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (South Korea) — Koreans Abroad (Brunei)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Brunei) — Brunei–Republic of Korea Relations
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