Vietnamese lead surge as Korea’s foreign resident population hits record-high 1.69 mil.

Foreign students gather together for a Christmas event at Keimyung University in Daegu, Dec. 1. Newsis

Korea’s foreign resident population has climbed to an all-time high, driven by a sharp rise in young migrants and a particularly strong influx from Vietnam, according to new data.

The 2025 Immigrant Residence and Employment Survey, published Thursday, shows that as of May, the number of foreign residents aged 15 or older exceeded 1.69 million, up from 1.56 million a year earlier, an increase of approximately 8.3 percent. The figure accounts for about 3.3 percent of Korea’s total population of roughly 51.8 million.

It is the second-fastest annual increase since 2017.

The growth is mainly concentrated among younger age groups. The population of foreigners aged 15 to 29 expanded by 12.8 percent (59,000 people), while those in their 30s grew by 7.8 percent (34,000). In contrast, the number of foreign residents in their 50s fell slightly, by 0.4 percent (1,000).

By nationality, ethnic Korean Chinese nationals remain the largest foreign resident group, with 506,000 residents. Vietnamese rank second at 270,000, but they are growing far faster than any other major ethnic group.

The survey shows that the Vietnamese population in Korea jumped by 15.5 percent (36,000), compared with Chinese nationals, which increased by 3.3 percent.

The report suggests that foreign residents are increasingly oriented toward long‑term life in Korea rather than short‑term employment. Among nonpermanent residents, more than 89 percent said they wish to continue staying here.

Foreign workers harvest water parsley at a farm in Busan, Dec. 15. Yonhap

The expansion in foreign residents has been accompanied by rising labor force participation. Their employment rate hit 65.5 percent, up 0.8 percentage points from the previous year. Nearly 45 percent are in the manufacturing and mining industries, while 20.4 percent are in the retail, wholesale, accommodation and food services sectors.

When asked why they chose to come to Korea to work, a majority (74.4 percent) said high wages, followed by satisfactory working environments (9.3 percent).

In terms of visa status, foreign nationals of Korean descent (F‑4) and low‑skilled workers (E‑9) are the two largest groups among foreign residents. There are 410,000 F‑4 visa holders and 321,000 E‑9 workers here.

But the most dramatic growth was in the student segment. Foreigners with student-related visas (D‑2 and D‑4) increased by 18.2 percent ― an additional 36,000 people in just one year ― as Korean universities continue to attract young people from across Asia and beyond.

The number of foreign students by nationality further underlines the increasing Vietnamese population here. Among those on student visas, Vietnamese nationals account for 100,000, followed by Chinese (excluding ethnic Korean Chinese) at 45,000 and Uzbeks (17,000).

When asked why they chose to study in Korea, foreign students most often cited the quality of academic programs (34 percent), followed by a “good match between Korean majors and personal interests” (20.5 percent) and the belief that Korean college diplomas will help them find a job (10.1 percent).

Asked about their majors, 29.3 percent said they study social science subjects, followed by Korean studies (17.8 percent), Korean language (16.6 percent) and engineering (15 percent).

Most foreign students say they are “satisfied” with the education services they receive here, with 84 percent approving of the services. Only 1.6 percent said they are “unsatisfied.”

Many of these students say they wish to continue to stay after graduation. Asked about their plan after leaving school, 65.5 percent said they want to continue to reside in Korea.