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Number of foreign residents in Korea nears 1.7 million in 2025

Published: 10 Mar. 2026, 11:25

President Lee Jae Myung takes a selfie with foreigners at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul on Feb. 26. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The number of foreign nationals residing in Korea approached 1.7 million as of May last year, government data showed Tuesday.

The total number came to 1.69 million, up 8.4 percent from a year earlier, according to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The figure refers to foreigners aged 15 and older who have resided in the country for more than 91 days.

By category, Koreans with foreign nationalities accounted for the largest share at 24.2 percent, followed by nonprofessional employment visa holders at 19 percent, the data showed. International students accounted for 14 percent and permanent residents at 9.6 percent.

Among foreign nationals, ethnic Koreans with Chinese nationality accounted for 29.9 percent of the total, followed by those from Vietnam with 16 percent, the data showed.

The data also showed that 65.5 percent of foreign nationals had jobs.

Among those employed, 10.8 percent of foreign workers said they were seeking new jobs, with most citing low income as the main reason.

About 32 percent of foreign nationals reported earning a monthly income between 2 million won ($1,362) and 3 million won, the data showed.

The data also showed 12.9 percent of foreigners said they experienced financial difficulties over the past year.

Yonhap