NBA Players from South Korea: Full List (2026)
1 NBA player has come from South Korea, by Wikipedia’s count. As of October 2026, none is on an NBA roster. The most recent was Ha Seung-Jin (2004-2006).
NBA players from South Korea at a glance
| NBA players, all time | 1 (Wikipedia count) |
|---|---|
| On NBA rosters, October 2026 | None |
| First to play in the NBA | Ha Seung-Jin (2004) |
| Longest NBA career | Ha Seung-Jin (2 seasons) |
| Centers | 1: Ha Seung-Jin |
| 7-foot prospects in our database | None right now |
| Last checked | 9 October 2026 |
Every NBA player from South Korea
Sorted by NBA debut, earliest first. Status is as of October 2026, before the 2026-27 regular season, so it includes players on training camp deals.
| Player | Position | NBA seasons | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ha Seung-Jin | Center | 2004-2006 | Former player |
Every NBA career from South Korea, year by year
First to last NBA season for each player. Orange means on an NBA roster in 2026-27.
First seasonLast season
Show the data behind this chart
Player
Position
NBA seasons
Status
Ha Seung-Jin
Center
2004-2006
Former player
Players from South Korea in the NBA in 2026-27
No player from South Korea is on an NBA roster as of October 2026.
NBA centers from South Korea
1 of the 1 player in the table played center or forward/center: Ha Seung-Jin (2004-2006).
7-Foot Prospects from South Korea
No active player from South Korea listed at 7 feet or taller and born in 2001 or later is in our 7-Foot Prospect Database right now (last checked on 9 October 2026). The database tracks nearly 400 young 7-footers from 61 countries, and we add new names as they appear.
Player profiles from our archive
This section was first published in 2018. Teams and career details in it are as of that time; the tables above show where things stand in October 2026.
South Korea may be one of the best Asian basketball teams, but they have only one player that has ever played in the NBA. Ha Seung-jin played in the NBA as a center for two years and is considered to be one of the greatest basketball players from Korea.
Korea’s National basketball team has won a total of 24 medals at the championships organized by FIBA Asia, two of which are golden (1969 and 1997). Furthermore, they are the only national team that always managed to qualify for this event, starting from the year when it was held for the first time in 1960.
NBA Players from South Korea
Ha Seung-jin
Seung-jin was born in Seoul on August 4, 1985. He signed up for the NBA draft in 2004 where he was selected in the second round (46th) by the Portland Trail Blazers. Standing at 7 ft. 3 in. (2.21 m) and weighing 305 lb., he was one of the biggest centers in the league. He spent two years with the Trail Blazers (2004-2006) and was often sent to the NBA development league with teams such as the Fort Worth Flyers and Anaheim Arsenal.
Prior to his NBA career, he played for his high school team (Samil Commercial School) and in college for Yonsei University, in his hometown Seoul. He currently plays for the Jeonju KCC Egis and the Korean national team.
Right now there are no immediate, additional NBA players expected to come from South Korea, but hopefully in the future we will see some blue chip NCAA or NBA prospects coming from South Korea.
How South Korea compares with other small basketball countries
NBA players all time: the eight leaders among the 46 countries we compared, and South Korea.
Show the data behind this chart
Country
NBA players, all time
Nigeria
30
Lithuania
17
Italy
14
Montenegro
10
Bahamas
9
Cameroon
8
Congo
8
Israel
8
South Korea
1
Frequently asked questions
How many NBA players are from South Korea?
Wikipedia counts 1.
Which players from South Korea are in the NBA in 2026-27?
None as of October 2026. The most recent was Ha Seung-Jin (2004-2006).
Who was the first NBA player from South Korea?
Ha Seung-Jin, who debuted in 2004.
Which centers from South Korea have played in the NBA?
Ha Seung-Jin.
Are there 7-foot prospects from South Korea?
Not right now. Our 7-Foot Prospect Database has no active player from South Korea listed at 7 feet or taller and born in 2001 or later.
More guides: NBA players by country. Scouting reports: NBA center prospects.
Sources: Wikipedia, List of NBA players born outside the United States (revision of 3 October 2026); RealGM NBA player list (9 October 2026); Low Key NBA 7-Foot Prospect Database. U.S.-born players with family ties to South Korea may be missing from the table. Last checked 9 October 2026.
