Korean immigration to Hawaii has been a constant in the 20th century. The first large group of Korean immigrants arrived in January 13, 1903, travelling on the RMS Gaelic, which landed in the United States before they took up residence on various islands in the Territory of Hawaii. By 1905, more than 7,000 Koreans populated Hawaii. Many early immigrants of this period had some contract with American missionaries in Korea. For some, immigrating to the Territory of Hawaii was considered useful, in part, to help them in the modernization of their homeland.

The Korean National Association (KNA) was established in 1909 in both Hawaii and San Francisco for the purpose of uniting all Koreans in the United States in a common cause. The KNA in Hawaii was composed primarily of Korean sugar-plantation workers, who sacrificed their wages to support the Korean liberation movement. At the same time, the KNA broadened its goals to support the needs of the Koreans in Hawaii and expanding the educational opportunities of the children. The KNA also focused on the struggle for political leadership in the Korean community in Hawaii, in which Syngman Rhee largely prevailed.