Korean DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · South Korea · East Asia
The Korean peninsula sits between northern China, Manchuria and Japan, and its population is genetically fairly homogeneous. In our model, the Korean average is 84.9% East Asian and 15.1% Ancient Northeast Asian, a blend of farming populations related to those of northern China and older Northeast Asian groups, represented here by Neolithic people from Devil's Gate Cave in the Russian Far East. The closest ancient groups in our data are Neolithic Dawenkou and Longshan-culture people from Shandong in northern China, and Three Kingdoms-period Koreans from Dangbuk-ri, which fits the archaeological picture of millet and rice farming reaching the peninsula from the mainland. The closest modern averages are Koreans from Antu in Yanbian (China) and from Jeju Island, then Manchu groups and Han Chinese from Shandong. With a fit of 0.022, the model describes the Korean average closely.
- Ancient components in our model: East Asian 84.9%, Ancient Northeast Asians 15.1%
- Closest modern population in our data: Korean (Antu), distance 0.0059
- Closest ancient group in our data: China Shandong N Early-Middle Dawenkou Beiqian, distance 0.0161
This page sums up what the DNA of the Korean sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in South Korea, and it is one of 335 populations in our atlas. An average describes the group as a whole, not any single person in it.
Ancient make-up of the Korean average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Korean average, 84.9%, goes to East Asian, ahead of Ancient Northeast Asians (15.1%). The East Asian component reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
The model fits well (fit distance 0.022), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report
Closest modern populations to Korean
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Korean average is Korean (Antu), at a distance of 0.006 (very close). Next come Korean (Jeju Island) at 0.015 and Manchu at 0.027. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Manchu (0.027), Han (Shandong Weifang) (0.029) and Manchu (Liaoning Jinzhou) (0.029). By the tenth closest (Baima) the distance grows to 0.031, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korean (Antu) | 0.0059 | Very close |
| 2 | Korean (Jeju Island) | 0.0146 | Very close |
| 3 | Manchu | 0.0270 | Close |
| 4 | Han (Shandong Weifang) | 0.0291 | Close |
| 5 | Manchu (Liaoning Jinzhou) | 0.0292 | Close |
| 6 | Manchu (Aisin-Gioro) | 0.0296 | Close |
| 7 | Han (Shandong Binzhou) | 0.0297 | Close |
| 8 | Manchu (Liaoning) | 0.0300 | Close |
| 9 | Han (Shandong Jinan) | 0.0306 | Close |
| 10 | Baima | 0.0306 | Close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Korean
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Korean average is China Shandong N Early-Middle Dawenkou Beiqian (Neolithic), at 0.016, followed by China Shandong N Longshan Wutai and Korea Three Kingdoms Dangbuk-ri. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China Shandong N Early-Middle Dawenkou Beiqian | Neolithic | 0.0161 |
| 2 | China Shandong N Longshan Wutai | Neolithic | 0.0184 |
| 3 | Korea Three Kingdoms Dangbuk-ri | Three Kingdoms period, c. 57 BC-668 AD | 0.0196 |
| 4 | China Shandong N Late Dawenkou Fujia | Neolithic | 0.0227 |
| 5 | China Shandong N Late Dawenkou Wucun | Neolithic | 0.0238 |
| 6 | China Shandong HP Wei-Jin Dynasty Xisanjia | Historical period | 0.0256 |
| 7 | Mongolia Late Medieval Mongol Period (Yellow Sea Profile) | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0262 |
| 8 | China Jiangsu N Middle Dawenkou Liulin | Neolithic | 0.0269 |
| 9 | Mongolia IA Xiongnu Late (Yellow Sea Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0274 |
| 10 | China Inner Mongolia HP Tang Dynasty Naobaowan (Yellow Sea Profile) | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0275 |
Ancient DNA from South Korea
Our ancient DNA database holds 84 individuals excavated in present-day South Korea, dated from about 5,000 BC to 550 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are C (3), Q1a (3) and D1a (2), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are D4 (6), B4 (1) and B5 (1). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Korean population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 84 from South Korea.
Compare yourself with Korean
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Korean average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Korean and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Korean individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Korean. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Korean average. Your own DNA has its own story: Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of Sinosphere / East Asian ancestry: ancient regional core (Yellow & Yangtze River Neolithic, Erlitou/Shang/Zhou dynasties, Han Dynasty, Yayoi migration, Tang Dynasty, Manchu/Qing era) versus non-regional outside...
More populations from East Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Korean?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Korean average is about 84.9% East Asian and 15.1% Ancient Northeast Asians. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Korean?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Korean (Antu)), the closest modern populations to the Korean average are Manchu, Han (Shandong Weifang) and Manchu (Liaoning Jinzhou). The closest ancient matches are China Shandong N Early-Middle Dawenkou Beiqian, China Shandong N Longshan Wutai and Korea Three Kingdoms Dangbuk-ri.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Korean?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Korean average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Korean ancestry?
For the Korean average, the regional report to choose is Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.