This is a list of notable Korean Canadians, including both Canadian citizens and residents.

By profession

Academics

*Dr Jong Soo Park – Dalhousie biologist who found world's oldest known DNA * Im-hak Ree – mathematician who developed

Ree group In mathematics, a Ree group is a group of Lie type over a finite field constructed by from an exceptional automorphism of a Dynkin diagram that reverses the direction of the multiple bonds, generalizing the Suzuki groups found by Suzuki using a dif ...

* Jin-me Yoon – educator and artist

Actors & Actresses

Ahn Hyo-seop Ahn Hyo-seop (born April 17, 1995) or Paul Ahn, is a Canadian actor and singer based in South Korea. He gained recognition for his main roles in the Korean dramas ''Still 17'' (2018), ''Abyss'' (2019), ''Dr. Romantic 2'' (2020), ''Lovers of the ...

- actor (''

Abyss (TV series) ''Abyss'' () is a 2019 South Korean television series starring Ahn Hyo-seop, Park Bo-young and Lee Sung-jae. It aired on tvN in South Korea on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:30 ( KST). Synopsis Go Se-yeon is a beautiful prosecution lawyer at the to ...

'') *

Andrea Bang Andrea Bang is a Canadian actress and screenwriter from Burnaby, British Columbia. She is best known for playing Janet Kim in the CBC comedy ''Kim's Convenience'', for which she was nominated many times at the Canadian Screen Awards. She has a ...

- actress (''

Kim's Convenience ''Kim's Convenience'' is a Canadian television sitcom that aired on CBC Television from October 2016 to April 2021. It depicts the Korean Canadian Kim family that runs a convenience store in the Moss Park neighbourhood of Toronto: parents "Appa ...

'') *

Diana Bang Diana Bang (born 1981) is a Canadian actress and writer. She played Park Sook-yin in the 2014 film ''The Interview''. Bang has had regular roles on television in '' Away'' and ''The Astronauts'' (2020), '' Y: The Last Man'' (2021) and most recen ...

- actress *

Jasper Cho Jasper Taekwan Cho (born February 12, 1986), a Canadian actor and art director based in South Korea. He gained attention through his roles in television series ''Descendants of the Sun'' (2016) and ''Man Who Dies to Live ''Man Who Dies to Live' ...

- actor (''

Descendants of the Sun ''Descendants of the Sun'' () is a 2016 South Korean television series starring Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo, Jin Goo, and Kim Ji-won. It aired on KBS2 from February 24 to April 14, 2016 for 16 episodes. KBS then aired three additional specia ...

'') *

Ins Choi Insub "Ins" Choi () is a Korean Canadian actor and playwright best known for his Dora Mavor Moore Award-nominated 2011 play ''Kim's Convenience''

- actor, playwright and screenwriter (''

'') *

Choi Woo-shik Choi Woo-shik (; born March 26, 1990) is an South Korean-Canadian actor based in South Korea. He first gained widespread recognition for his leading role in the film '' Set Me Free'' (2014). He then co-starred in the films ''Train to Busan'' (201 ...

- actor (''

Parasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has ...

'') *

Choi Yeo-jin Choi Yeo-jin (; born July 27, 1983) is a South Korean-Canadian model-turned-actress. Career Choi Yeo-jin was born in South Korea, but after her parents divorced, they emigrated to Canada when she was in the first year of middle school. She dream ...

– actress * Tina Jung - actress ('' Strays'', ''

Make It Pop ''Make It Pop'' is a Canadian musical comedy television series created by Thomas W. Lynch and Nick Cannon that aired on Nickelodeon from March 26, 2015 to August 20, 2016. The series stars Megan Lee, Louriza Tronco, Erika Tham, and Dale Whibley. ...

'') *

Julien Kang Julien Kang (; born 11 April 1982) is a Canadian television actor and model. In May 2012, Kang starred opposite Ryu Si-won as Kang Gu-ra, a rival fighter to Ryu's Seung-hyuk in Channel A's ''Goodbye Dear Wife''. Early life Kang was born in Sa ...

– actor *

Lee Jae-yoon Lee Jae-yoon (, born December 15, 1984) is a South Korean-Canadian actor and model. He is best known for his roles in the television dramas '' My Love By My Side'' (2011), ''Heartless City'' (2013), and ''Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo'' (20 ...

- actor (''

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo ''Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo'' () is a 2016–2017 South Korean television series starring Lee Sung-kyung in the title role, with Nam Joo-hyuk. It is a coming-of-age sports drama, inspired by the life of Olympic gold-medalist Jang Mi-ran. I ...

'') *

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (born August 16, 1972) is a Korean-Canadian actor and television host. He is best known for his roles as Randy Ko in the soap opera ''Train 48'' (2003–2005) and as family patriarch Appa in the play ''Kim's Convenience'' (2011 ...

- actor (''

'') *

Sandra Oh Sandra Miju Oh (born July 20, 1971) is a Canadian–American actress. She is best known for her starring roles as Rita Wu on the HBO comedy '' Arliss'' (1996–2002), Dr. Cristina Yang on the ABC medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005� ...

– actress ('' Double Happiness'', ''

Sideways ''Sideways'' is a 2004 American comedy-drama road film directed by Alexander Payne and written by Jim Taylor and Payne. A film adaptation of Rex Pickett's 2004 novel of the same name, ''Sideways'' follows two men in their forties, Miles Raymo ...

'', ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...

'' and ''

Killing Eve ''Killing Eve'' is a British spy thriller television series, produced in the United Kingdom by Sid Gentle Films for BBC America and BBC Three. The series follows Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), a British intelligence investigator tasked with capturi ...

'') * Grace Park – actress (''

Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series), original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel se ...

'' and ''

Hawaii Five-0 Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * Hawaii Five-0 (2010 TV series), ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series), ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an Ame ...

'') *

Anthony Shim Anthony Shim ( ko, 심명보) is a Canadian actor and filmmaker based in Vancouver, British Columbia.Kelly Townsend"Anthony Shim’s sophomore feature to film in B.C., South Korea" ''Playback (magazine), Playback'', August 27, 2021. Born in Seoul, ...

- actor, filmmaker *

Jean Yoon Jean Yoon (born May 4, 1962) is an American-born Canadian actress and writer of Korean descent. Yoon is best known for originating the role of family matriarch Umma in the 2011 play ''Kim's Convenience'' and in the award-winning CBC Television ...

- actress (''

''), writer, poet and playwright

Artists

Michael Cho The shooting of Michael Sungman Cho occurred on December 31, 2007, in the Orange County city of La Habra, California. Cho, a 25-year-old Korean-American artist, was brandishing a tire iron outside a store and was shot by two police officers. Th ...

– illustrator and cartoonist * Ann Y. K. Choi - author * June Hur - author *

Bryan Lee O'Malley Bryan Lee O'Malley (born February 21, 1979) is a Canadian cartoonist, best known for the ''Scott Pilgrim'' series. He also performs as a musician under the alias Kupek. Career Bryan Lee O'Malley attended St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary Sc ...

– cartoonist

Humanitarian

*Choong Lim Chun -

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

and

humanitarian Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional ...

who reunited divided families *

Hyeon Soo Lim Hyeon Soo Lim (; born February 16, 1955) is a Canadian pastor of the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Mississauga. He is a South Korean-born Canadian citizen. He was operating humanitarian efforts in North Korea providing tens of millions o ...

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

who was detained in

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

Athletes

Tommy Chang (martial artist) Tommy Chang is a Demographics of South Korea, South Korean Martial arts, martial artist, stunt performer and actor. Chang is a 7th Dan (rank), dan Black belt (martial arts), black belt in Taekwondo and 8th dan in Hapkido. He is the founder of the ...

- Master of Hapkido/Taekwondo and stunt performer *

Denis Kang Denis Kang (, born September 17, 1977) is a Canadian professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 1998, Kang has formerly competed for the UFC, PRIDE, DREAM, Impact F ...

–

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

Gail Kim Gail Kim-Irvine (born February 20, 1977) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where she serves as a producer. In Impact Wrestling she was the inaugural and record setting seven-time Knockou ...

–

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

* Jung-Yul Kim - former football player for the

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-old ...

and

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

* Michael Kim (footballer) - soccer manager, assistant manager for the

South Korea national football team The South Korea national football team (; recognized as Korea Republic by FIFA) represents South Korea in men's international football and is governed by the Korea Football Association. South Korea has emerged as a major football power in Asia ...

Jim Paek Jim Paek ( ko, 백지선, Baek Chi-sun, born April 7, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, who is currently the director of hockey for the Korea Ice Hockey Association and head coach of the South Korean national team. Paek ...

– former

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

player *

Park Jong Soo __NOTOC__ Park Jong-soo (1941 – 27 November 2021) was a South Korean master of taekwondo and one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association.Choi, H. H. (1972): ''Taekwon-Do: The Korean art of self-defence ...

- South Korean master of taekwondo

Media

Ben Chin Benjamin Byung Kyu Chin (born 1964), known for short as Ben Chin, is a Canadian political advisor and former public and private sector executive. He had an earlier career as a television journalist. Personal life and education Chin was born in Gen ...

–

news anchor A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet. ...

Ins Choi Insub "Ins" Choi () is a Korean Canadian actor and playwright best known for his Dora Mavor Moore Award-nominated 2011 play ''Kim's Convenience''

– actor and playwright * Nathalie Chung –

and

Evan Fong Evan Fong (born 31 May 1992), known online as VanossGaming (or simply Vanoss), is a Canadian internet personality, video game commentator, music producer, and DJ. He posts montage-style videos on YouTube of him and other creators playing variou ...

– entertainer and

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

r *

Tanya Kim Tanya Kim is a Canadian television personality, best known as the co-host of '' etalk'' from 2003 to 2014. Early life Kim was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to Korean immigrant parents. Her grandmother moved from Seoul to Canada ...

– co-host of CTV's ETalk * Jee Yun Lee –

Mi-Jung Lee Mi-Jung Lee (born September 12, 1966) (; born in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, South Korea) is a Canadian television journalist and news anchor based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She formerly co-anchored the weeknight 6pm newscast alongside Scott Robe ...

– anchor and

producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

* Min Reyes – political commentator and activist *

Albert Shin Albert Shin is a Canadian filmmaker, best known for his critically acclaimed Canadian Screen Award-nominated films ''In Her Place'' (2014) and ''Disappearance at Clifton Hill'' (2019). He works frequently with collaborator Igor Drljaca. Early li ...

- filmmaker *

Jenny Heijun Wills Jenny Heijun Wills (born 1981) is a Korean Canadian writer and scholar, whose memoir ''Older Sister. Not Necessarily Related'' (McClelland & Stewart) won the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction in 2019. The book also won a Manitoba ...

- writer, university professor *

Celeste Yim Celeste Yim is a Korean-Canadian comedian and writer. Career Yim's career began in the mid-2010s, in indie stand-up shows in Toronto. They then were named to the Bob Curry fellowship for The Second City and worked as a juror for the Toronto Sket ...

- comedian, writer for

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

Musicians

* Jacob Bae - a member of

The Boyz (South Korean band) The Boyz () is a South Korean boy band formed and managed by IST Entertainment. The group debuted on December 6, 2017, with the lead single "Boy" from their debut EP ''The First''. The group is composed of Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, J ...

*Paul Blanco - Korean hip-hop musician and producer *

Alex Chu Alex Chu (born Chu Hun-gon September 2, 1979), known simply as Alex (), is a Korean-Canadian singer and actor. He is the male vocalist of the South Korean electropop band Clazziquai. Biography Having immigrated to Canada with his family, A ...

– actor and a member of

Clazziquai Clazziquai Project (Hangul: ), also known as Clazziquai, is a South Korean electropop band that combines several genres including electronic music, acid jazz and house. The band's first short unofficial albums were released online in 2001, spread ...

Trish Doan Kittie is a Canadian heavy metal band formed in London, Ontario in 1996. All of their material has been released through independent record labels, which to date includes six studio albums, one video album, four extended plays, thirteen single ...

– bass player for the metal band

Kittie Kittie is a Canadian Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in London, Ontario in 1996. All of their material has been released through independent record labels, which to date includes six studio albums, one video album, four extended plays ...

DinDin Lim Cheol (born November 20, 1991), better known by his stage name DinDin, is a South Korean rapper, television personality and radio personality A radio personality (American English) or radio presenter (British English) is a person who has an ...

- Korean hip-hop musician *

G.NA Gina Jane Choi (born September 13, 1987), better known by her stage name G.NA, is a Korean Canadian singer, songwriter and actress based in South Korea. She released her debut EP, ''Draw G's First Breath'', on July 14, 2010. As a solo arti ...

– Korean Pop singer *

Jeon So-mi Ennik Somi Douma (born March 9, 2001), known professionally by her Korean name Jeon Somi (), is a Korean and Canadian singer, rapper and dancer signed under The Black Label. Jeon shot to domestic stardom as the first-place winner of the surv ...

– a former member of

I.O.I I.O.I (; also known as IOI or Ideal of Idol) was a South Korean girl group formed by CJ E&M through the 2016 reality show ''Produce 101'' on Mnet. The group was composed of eleven members chosen from a pool of 101 trainees from various enterta ...

and soloist *

Lia Lia is a feminine given name. In the Spanish-speaking world, it is accented Lía. In America, the name may be a variant of Leah or Lea. Lia may be a diminutive of various names including Julia, Cecilia, Amelia, Talia, Cornelia, Ophelia, Rosal ...

- member of ITZY *Earl Lee - RBC Resident Conductor, Toronto Symphony Orchestra * Mark Lee – rapper of NCT * Kevin Moon – a member of

Ryu Sera Ryu Se-ra (, born October 3, 1987), also known by the mononym Sera (), is a South Korean singer-songwriter signed under the self-founded agency OCTO. She is a former leader and main vocalist of South Korean girl group Nine Muses. Career 20 ...

– a former member of Nine Muses *

Sik-K Kwon Min-sik (Hangul: 권민식, born February 26, 1994), known professionally as Sik-K (Hangul: 식케이), is a South Korean rapper. He first garnered attention when he appeared on ''Show Me the Money 4'' in 2015. Early life and education Kwo ...

- Rapper signed to

Jay Park Jay Park ( Korean name: Park Jae-beom (Hangul: 박재범; Hanja: 朴載範); born April 25, 1987) is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and entrepreneur of based in South Korea. He is a member of the Seattle-based ...

's international hip - hop label H1GhR Music * Wendy Son – raised in Canada, the main vocalist of Red Velvet *

Wonny Song Wonny Song (born 1978) is a Canadian pianist. Biography Song was born in South Korea and grew up in Montreal. He began piano studies at the age of eight and received a full scholarship to Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music in 1994. He ...

– classical pianist *

Tablo Daniel Armand Lee (Korean: Lee Seon-woong; Hangul: 이선웅; born July 22, 1980), better known by his stage name Tablo (Hangul: 타블로), is a Korean-Canadian hip hop recording artist, lyricist, composer and record producer. Tablo is best k ...

– a member of

Epik High Epik High (Hangul: 에픽하이) is a South Korean hip hop trio formed in 2001, composed of Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz. Primarily based in Seoul, the group signed with Woollim Entertainment and released their first two studio albums, ''M ...

*Yejin – a former member of

Brave Girls Brave Girls (; also known as B. Girls or BG) is a South Korean girl group formed by producer Brave Brothers in 2011 and managed by Brave Entertainment. After making their debut with the single album ''The Difference'' on April 7, 2011, the grou ...

*Keeho Yoon - a member of

P1Harmony P1Harmony (; Acronym: P1H) is a South Korean boy band formed and managed by FNC Entertainment. The group consists of six members: Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul, and Jongseob. They debuted on October 28, 2020, with the extended play (EP) ''Dis ...

Young K Kang Young-hyun ( ko, 강영현; born December 19, 1993), known professionally as Young K, is a Korean musician, singer, songwriter and rapper. He is best known as the bassist, vocalist and rapper of South Korean rock band Day6. Early life K ...

– a member of

Day6 Day6 (; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean pop rock band under the label JYP Entertainment. The group debuted on September 7, 2015, with the EP ''The Day,'' which peaked at No.2 on ''Billboard''s World Album Chart a week following its re ...

(bassist and vocalist) and songwriter * Junny - soloist (R&B Singer) and songwriter

Politicians

* Raymond Cho – Legislative Assembly of Ontario MPP *

Stan Cho Stan Cho (born September 14, 1977) () is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 Ontario general election, 2018 provincial election. He represents the riding of Willowdale (provincial electoral ...

– Legislative Assembly of Ontario MPP *Steve Kim - City of Coquitlam Councillor *

Sandy Lee Sandy Lee (born 1964) is a South Korean-born-Canadian lawyer and politician, who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from 1999 to 2011. Political career Territorial Assembly Lee was elected to the legislatur ...

–

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

MLA * Yonah Kim Martin –

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Jane Shin Jane Jae Kyung Shin (Korean: 신재경, Hanja: 申才炅) is a Canadian academic and former politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2013 provincial election.British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

MLA *

Nelly Shin Nelly Shin (born 1972) is a Canadian politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada for Port Moody—Coquitlam as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. Shin is the first Korean-Canadian to be ele ...

- MP for

Port Moody—Coquitlam Port Moody—Coquitlam (formerly known as Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1997 to 2004 and since 2015. Geography ...

References

{{reflist

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...