South Korea Sees Unprecedented 2.73M Surge in Foreign Population
(MENAFN) South Korea's foreign resident population soared to an unprecedented 2.73 million, with Chinese nationals accounting for roughly one-third, according to media, which referenced official government data on Sunday.
By the close of June, immigration statistics from the Ministry of Justice showed 1.56 million foreigners officially registered in South Korea, alongside 552,419 Koreans holding foreign citizenship. In addition, there were 620,403 foreigners in the country on short-term visits, such as tourism.
The number of foreign residents had previously peaked at 2.52 million in 2019 but plummeted to 1.96 million in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The population then rebounded to 2.51 million in 2023 and climbed further to a new record of 2.65 million by the end of last year.
Chinese nationals represented the largest segment, comprising 35.6% of the foreign population, totaling 972,176 individuals. They were followed by Vietnamese at 341,153, Americans at 196,664, Thais at 173,710, and Uzbeks at 98,457.
More than half of all foreign residents were concentrated in Seoul and its metropolitan surroundings, while others were dispersed across the central Chungcheong region and southern provinces. Nearly half of the foreign population fell within the 20 to 39 age group.
Visa distribution revealed that about 20% of foreigners held F-4 visas designated for overseas Koreans, with roughly 12% on E-9 visas for non-professional workers. Other common visa categories included F-5 permanent residency, D-2 student visas, and B-2 tourist visas.
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