S. Korea's foreign population hits historic high, led by Chinese and Vietnamese

The number of foreign residents in South Korea reached a historic milestone in 2024, exceeding 5% of the total population, with the majority coming from China and Vietnam.

According to data released by the Korea Immigration Service under the Ministry of Justice, the number of foreign nationals residing in the country—both short- and long-term—surpassed 2.65 million by the end of 2024. This accounted for 5.17% of South Korea’s total population, marking a significant rise from the previous record of 4.89% in 2023.

Over the past decade, South Korea has seen a steady increase in its foreign resident population, growing from 1.9 million in 2015 to 2.52 million in 2019. Although the Covid-19 pandemic temporarily caused a decline, the numbers rebounded in 2022 and have continued to rise since. The 2024 figure represents an increase of 126,127 compared to the previous peak recorded in 2019.

Foreign Resident Demographics
Among the total foreign residents, 2.04 million (77%) were long-term residents who had officially registered their stay, while 608,766 were short-term visitors. The Ministry of Justice defines short-term residents as those staying for 90 days or less without registering, while long-term residents are those who register to stay for at least 91 days.

In terms of nationality, the largest group of foreign residents came from:

China: 958,959 individuals
Vietnam: 305,936
Thailand: 188,770
United States: 170,251
Uzbekistan: 94,893
A significant portion of the foreign population is composed of young adults, with those in their 20s and 30s making up nearly half of all foreign residents. Meanwhile, 15.9% are in their 40s, 12.9% are aged 60 and above, and 12.6% fall within the 50s age group.

Rise in International Students
South Korea has also seen a steady increase in the number of international students over the past five years. The total number of foreign students grew from 153,361 in 2020 to 263,775 by the end of 2024, representing a 16.5% increase from the 226,507 students recorded in 2023.

Of these students:

178,519 were enrolled in degree programs
85,256 were in the country for short-term studies, including Korean language programs
Decline in Undocumented Residents
While the overall foreign population in South Korea has grown, the number of undocumented residents has decreased. By the end of 2024, there were 397,522 undocumented foreign residents, reflecting a 6.2% year-on-year decline.

The increase in foreign residents, particularly young workers and students, highlights South Korea’s growing appeal as a destination for work and education, as well as its evolving role as a multicultural society.