Lai Đại Hàn

The term Lai Dai Han (or sometimes Lai Daihan/Lai Tai Han) (lai Đại Hàn in Vietnamese : ; 라이따이한) is a Vietnamese term for a mixed ancestry person born to a South Korean father and a Vietnamese mother (including the victims of Korean soldiers) during the Vietnam War. The term, and awareness of this legacy, was publicised in Korea in the 1990s and 2000s as Korea increasingly had investment and business contacts with Vietnam.

Etymology
The noun or adjective lai (chữ nôm: 𤳆) can mean any hybrid, include an animal or tree, but in this context is a scornful word, meaning "mixed blood." "Đại Hàn" (hán tự: 大韓) was the then standard Vietnamese term for South Korea (equivalent to Korean Daehan, hangul: 대한 hanja: 大韓), though today "Hàn Quốc" (Korean Hanguk) is more common. Since "lai" is offensive the term "lai Đại Hàn" itself does not appear in official Vietnamese sources, except in relation for example to the name of the South Korean film "Lai Đại Hàn."

Vietnamese-Korean mixed children
The fathers include both members of the South Korean military and Korean workers who were stationed in Vietnam during the War. The children were usually abandoned by their fathers. The Viet Cong registered a complaint during the war that South Koreans were abducting and raping large numbers of Vietnamese women.

Numbers
The exact number of Lai Daihan is unknown. According to Busan Ilbo, there are at least 5,000 and 30,000 at most. According to Maeil Business, there are 1000 at most. According to Park Oh-soon, the number of Korean-Vietnamese fathered not by Korean soldiers but by Korean workers stationed in Vietnam during the War is probably 10,000. The causes of the Lai Daihan problem include, rape, and the desertion of the children.