Small Koreatowns are emerging in Johannesburg and the nearby Cape Town. About 4,000 Koreans are currently living in South Africa. Shown above are a church, a school and a shop geared toward Koreans.
/ Korea Times photo by Dave Durbach |
By Dave Durbach
Korea Times Correspondent
JOHANNESBURG ― One of the largest cities in Africa, Johannesburg's affluent northern suburbs are home to a burgeoning community of Koreans. The Korean embassy puts the number of South Koreans in South Africa at around 4,000, with the majority residing in the urban centers of Jo'burg and Cape Town.
For many children attending weekend classes at the Johannesburg Hangeul School, Korea is a distant memory. Yet here is where they can not only learn to speak Korean, but also learn about Korean art and history. It is the largest of six such schools in southern Africa, the others being in Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban, as well as in neighboring countries Botswana and Zimbabwe.
The Johannesburg school is part of the Korean church, a popular meeting place for the Korean community here. Children attend classes here on Saturdays, while on Sundays, church services are followed by a traditional Korean lunch every week. Just down the road in Glenferness, the new Korean Catholic church has recently been completed - another sign of a growing and closely-knit community here.
The community may be close, but it's by no means closed. Both the school and church are open to everyone. At the church, headsets are available to provide English translations for those not fluent in Korean.
The school is open to anyone who wants to learn Korean, regardless of age or nationality. This is according to man named Kang, who helps run the school. Originally from Seoul, Kang moved to South Africa five years ago with his grandchildren, for their education.
"Many Korean people think that Africa consists of only jungles and lions," he says, laughing. "South Africa is a very beautiful country, like Korea. I would say South Africans are very kind. And we have a very good relationship between Korea and South Africa.
Our people should try to come here to work, and to introduce South Africa to Korea, and Korea to South Africa. It is a much cheaper country than Korea for children to study, compared to other countries such as Australia and Canada. More parents should send their children here."
The Korean school in Johannesburg has between 60 and 80 students of all ages on any given Saturday. It has been open for 14 years now. Parents pay a modest sum of 300 rand (45,000 won) to send their children here every Saturday for three months. The majority of the students have lived in South Africa for most of their lives, while others are here for a only few months to learn English, living through homestays with other Korean families in the area.
Kim Da-eun, 15, was born in Seoul and arrived in South Africa at the age of 2. Her parents run a fusion restaurant here. "If I had the choice to live here or in Korea, I would probably choose here," she says, "because I've been here longer and I don't remember a lot of things from Korea. The air and the water are much cleaner here. And the tourist sites; there's more variety in this country. Travel-wise, it's nice."
Two boys at the school, Sidney and Yohann, both 11, were born in Korea to Korean mothers and European fathers. They both left Korea at an early age, and have since lived all over Europe and Asia, and now Africa.
While they're fortunate for having travelled, for them and so many other kids here it can be difficult to stay in touch with their homeland while constantly having to adapt to new environments. Yet they've learned to make the most of it. "The weather is nice here," says Sidney, "especially in the afternoon," when the city often enjoys spectacular thundershowers. "I like it here," agrees Yohann. "There's nice weather and the people are friendly."
Yohann lives in Rivonia, a nearby suburb, where one can also find the only Korean supermarket in Johannesburg. It's been open for the past nine years. Renovations are currently underway to cope with the increasing demand for Korean food and goods. Here one can find everything one would expect from any corner store in Korea, including mandu, kimchi, and even Peppero. There are fresh vegetables grown on a Korean-run farm in Midrand, as well as cabbage for kimchi. Across the street from the market, there is a popular Korean restaurant serving authentic (but pricy) Korean dishes.
Lee, who runs the store, has been in South Africa for over 10 years. How did she end up in South Africa? "It just happened," she laughs. "One of my friends was travelling a lot. When he went to Johannesburg, a long time ago, he said 'this is the new South Africa, I've found a nice "European" country in Africa.' So we just came here for one month, to have a look. We found it's very nice and decided to stay."
Lee has seen much of South Africa during the past 10 years, and returns to Korea regularly to visit her family in Seoul. Her grown-up son enjoys living in South Africa. "My son only likes the shopping in Korea. But studying here is easier than in Korea!" She describes the Korean community here as "very close" and centered around the church. Compared to Korea, "It can be a bit difficult, because there's a lot of crime. But everything is fine. One's lifestyle here is very relaxed, actually. There's less pressure."
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