List of Famous people born in North Karelia, Finland

Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen-Cabuli, known professionally as Tarja Turunen or simply Tarja, is a Finnish heavy metal singer-songwriter. She is a soprano with a three octave range.

Hannu Olavi Mikkola was a Finnish world champion rally driver. He was a seven-time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times.

Ilkka Pertti Juhani Laitinen was a Finnish military officer, who served as the lieutenant general and the Chief of the Finnish Border Guard from 2018 to 2019. He was the first Executive Director of Frontex, the European Union’s border protection agency, from 2005 until 2014.

Mari Eder is a Finnish biathlete and cross-country skier.

Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1999 to 2009. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times. Since 2013 Vatanen has been the President of the Estonian Autosport Union.

Tuomas Lauri Johannes Holopainen is a Finnish songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known as the founder, leader, keyboardist and songwriter of symphonic metal band Nightwish. He has also studied jazz and classical styles, but prefers to be influenced by harmonic film music.

Erno Matti Juhani "Emppu" Vuorinen is a Finnish guitarist, most famous for being a founding member and occasional songwriter of the symphonic metal band Nightwish. He is the oldest of five children, having a twin brother and three younger sisters. He started to play guitar as a private study at the age of 12 and since then has played in various bands including Nightwish, Brother Firetribe, Barilari, Almah, and Altaria.

Marutei Tsurunen is a Finnish-born Japanese politician. He is the first foreign-born Japanese of European origin to serve as a member of the Diet of Japan. He is a member of the Democratic Party of Japan, where he served as Director General of the International Department. He served in the House of Councillors from 2001 to 2013.

Katri Helena Kalaoja is a Finnish singer.

Pekka Juhani "P. J." Hannikainen was a Finnish composer and the head of the musical branch of the prominent Hannikainen family. His uncle was the writer and journalist Pietari Hannikainen.