Eumseong’s foreign resident population hits new high, ranks 2nd in Korea

This May 25, 2024, file photo shows participants in the Eumseong Pumba Festival taking a selfie during the event in Eumseong county, North Chungcheong Province. Korea Times file

Eumseong County in North Chungcheong Province is seeing rapid demographic change, with newly released figures showing foreign residents now account for more than 16 percent of its total population ― the second-highest in Korea.

According to local officials Monday, the number of noncitizen residents registered in the county reached 18,595 as of September, jumping 9.7 percent from 16,938 a year earlier and up from 14,843 in 2023.

Now, foreigners make up 16.6 percent of its total population, giving Eumseong the second-highest foreign resident ratio among local governments nationwide, trailing only Yeongam County in South Jeolla Province.

Eumseong officials say the continued influx highlights the county’s growing importance as a hub for migrant workers as it hosts around 3,000 firms, many of which are in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors and rely heavily on migrant labor. Its convenient transportation infrastructure, low industrial complex land prices and proximity to the Seoul metropolitan region are cited as other reasons.

To help foreign residents settle and foster a sense of community there, the county office has expanded its early settlement and social integration support programs. Since 2019, the office has operated a team dedicated to foreign residents, and in 2020 it opened a center for foreign resident support ― the first one in the province.

In partnership with five specialized institutions, Eumseong also began offering a wider range of medical services to foreign residents in 2023, county officials say.

Efforts to bridge language and cultural gaps have also ramped up, with the publication of an Eumseong Guidebook last year in five foreign languages — English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Nepali and Cambodian.

“Foreign residents are a vital pillar supporting and developing our society,” a county official said. “We are committed to expanding systems to ensure their stable settlement here.”