emirates7 - The number of foreigners residing in the Republic of Korea surpassed 2.8 million for the first time in October, driven by increases in long-term stays for work, study and seasonal employment, Yonhap News Agency reported Saturday.
According to the immigration data from the justice ministry, 2,837,525 foreign nationals were registered as staying in the country as of October, up 3.6 percent from the previous month.
The foreign resident population had hit a pre-pandemic peak of 2.524 million in 2019, then fell sharply to 1.956 million in 2021 due to COVID-19. It rebounded to 2.507 million in 2023 and climbed to 2.65 million in 2024.
Chinese nationals accounted for the largest share by nationality at 975,000, or 34.4 percent, followed by citizens of Vietnam, the United States and Thailand at 12.5 percent, 6.9 percent and 6 percent, respectively.
According to the immigration data from the justice ministry, 2,837,525 foreign nationals were registered as staying in the country as of October, up 3.6 percent from the previous month.
The foreign resident population had hit a pre-pandemic peak of 2.524 million in 2019, then fell sharply to 1.956 million in 2021 due to COVID-19. It rebounded to 2.507 million in 2023 and climbed to 2.65 million in 2024.
Chinese nationals accounted for the largest share by nationality at 975,000, or 34.4 percent, followed by citizens of Vietnam, the United States and Thailand at 12.5 percent, 6.9 percent and 6 percent, respectively.