[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] The number of foreigners residing in South Korea for study, work, and tourism has exceeded 2.73 million, the highest level on record.
According to the Korea Immigration Service under the Ministry of Justice, as of the end of last month, there were 2,732,797 foreign residents in the country — up 40,068 (1.5%) from the previous month, continuing a steady month-over-month increase.
Foreign residents are classified as long-term or short-term:
Registered foreign nationals: 1,559,975
Overseas Koreans holding foreign nationality: 552,419
Short-term stayers (e.g., tourists): 620,403
By nationality, Chinese nationals make up the largest share, with 972,176 residents — accounting for 35.6% of the total. They are followed by:
Vietnam: 341,153
United States: 196,664
Thailand: 173,710
Uzbekistan: 98,457
Regionally, more than half of all registered foreign residents live in the Seoul metropolitan area, while other regions include:
Yeongnam region: 317,286 (20.3%)
Chungcheong region: 200,939 (12.9%)
Honam region: 136,990 (8.8%)
Officials note that the rise reflects Korea’s growing role as a hub for education, employment, and tourism, with Chinese residents making up the largest share of the country’s foreign population.
알파경제 Paul Lee 특파원(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
