Kim Rahn is the managing editor of The Korea Times. Since joining the company in 2003, she has covered various beats including the presidential office, Seoul city government, the Bank of Korea and the tourism industry. In 2014, she won the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for her coverage of the ordeals of migrant women in Korea.
Number of foreign residents reaches 1.26 million
By Kim Rahn
The number of foreign residents reached an all-time high of 1.26 million in 2010, up 8 percent from a year earlier according to the Ministry of Justice Wednesday. The ministry added that the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea also jumped 11.9 percent to a record 8.76 million despite the worldwide economic crisis and North Korea’s military provocations.
Japanese visitors accounted for 38.6 percent of the tourists coming here, followed by Chinese with 22.2 percent, American with 8.9 percent and Taiwanese with 5.6 percent.
“The number of Chinese visitors was 1.72 million, a 42.2 percent increase from the year before, mainly due to simplified visa issuance procedures. In two to three years, they will outnumber Japanese tourists,” a ministry official said.
Tourism deficit
Despite the growth in the number of foreign visitors, the nation is likely to see a deficit in the tourism balance for a while, as the figure makes up only 68 percent of the number of Koreans departing the country.
The number of Koreans who left the country last year also skyrocketed to 12.8 million, a 30.6 percent growth compared with 2009. “The figure, which had decreased since 2007, turned upward in 2010. We presume it reflects the recovering domestic economy and the stronger won against the dollar,” the official said.
A growing number of foreigners are also staying in Korea ― 1,261,415 in 2010 ― propelled by steady gains in the number of foreign spouses and students.
Some 44 percent of foreign residents were migrant workers; 11.2 percent were people married to Koreans; and 6.9 percent were students. The number of migrant workers slightly decreased from 2009, while that of foreign spouses and students rose.
When adding the number of foreigners who departed the country, the number of foreigners who came to and/or left Korea was 17.4 million, an 11.4 percent rise from 2009.
“More Koreans and foreigners will come here and leave the country this year, as airlines plan to launch or increase operations and a growing number of cruise ships will make port calls here,” the official said.