what nationality are south koreans racist towards?

South Koreans are not uniformly racist toward any one nationality, but reporting and surveys suggest discrimination often falls most heavily on people from Southeast Asia, South Asia, and other visibly non-Korean groups , with Black people and other East Asians also sometimes reporting prejudice depending on the context. Recent reporting has also shown anti-Asian racism can go both ways in public disputes and sports settings, including a 2026 incident involving a South Korean creator targeted by a racist gesture from a Mexican fan.

What the evidence suggests

• Discrimination in South Korea is usually discussed as racism against foreigners generally , not hatred of one single nationality.

• Migrants in Korea have reported race, skin color, and language proficiency as major factors in discrimination.

• Public controversy often involves people from India, Pakistan, Southeast Asia, and other Asian countries , especially in stories about nightlife, housing, work, or online conflict.

Important context

• This is about patterns and reported incidents , not every South Korean person.
• Like anywhere else, attitudes vary a lot by age, region, education, and personal exposure to foreigners.
• It is more accurate to say some groups face more frequent prejudice than to say an entire nationality “is racist toward” another nationality.

Plain answer

If you want the shortest answer: foreigners from poorer Asian countries, especially Southeast and South Asia, are often reported as facing the most discrimination in South Korea.

Bottom line

A fair way to phrase it is: South Korea has documented racism and xenophobia, but it is not limited to one nationality ; it tends to affect foreigners who are seen as more racially distinct, less fluent in Korean, or lower-status in social stereotypes.