The number of ethnic Koreans in Qingdao, Shandong Province is estimated to be at about 200-thousand as more South Korean companies are advancing into the northeastern Chinese city.

A daily for ethnic Koreans in China reported on Monday that since South Korea and China established diplomatic ties in 1992, more ethnic-Korean Chinese citizens in three northeastern provinces are moving into the city to seek employment at or start business with South Korean companies.

Accordingly, the number of ethnic Koreans in the city reached around 200-thousand from the mere two thousand recorded in the early 1990s.

Since 2008, the number of South Koreans living in the city dropped by 21 percent to 88-thousand, while that of ethnic Koreans increased by eleven percent.

The number of companies operated by ethnic Koreans in the city stands at about one thousand, 50 of which post over five million U.S. dollars in annual sales.