The City Council voted Wednesday to mark Jan. 13 as Korean American Day in New York City. The city’s Korean population jumped 11% between 2008 and 2011 to over 103,000, according to the Asian American Federation.

The date was chosen to commemorate the first arrival of Korean immigrants to the U.S. in 1903 when the SS Gaelic landed in Hawaii with about 100 men, women and children.

“For the past three decades, the hard work and good nature of Korean-Americans have contributed greatly to the quality of life for residents of New York whether they have realized it or not,” said Sung Min, president of the Korean American Association of Greater New York.

City Councilman Peter Koo — whose Queens district includes an active and growing Korean-American population — lobbied for the designation, saying New York has the second largest number of Korean-owned businesses in the country.

Paul Yoo, president of the Korean American Association of Queens, pointed out hard working immigrants operate a majority of the dry cleaning business in the city as well as many vital fresh fruit and vegetable stores.

The move shows respect for the hard work of the community, said Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Flushing). Kim, the first Korean-American elected to the state Legislature, said he hopes it paves the way for more action.

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