The number of ethnic Koreans living abroad is estimated at a little more than six million as of July last year. That's according to the '2004 World Almanac' compiled and released by the Foreign Ministry Wednesday.

The cited overseas Korean population represents an increase of seven-point-five percent from 2001. Nearly half of the total or some three million were in Asia, while 38 percent or two-point-three million resided in North America, followed by 11 percent in Europe.