Foreign resident population in Korea hits record 2.66 mil. as int'l student numbers surge

The number of foreign residents living in Korea rose for the fourth consecutive year in 2025 to reach a record high of 2.66 million, driven largely by a sharp increase in international students, government data showed Wednesday.

According to the 2025 Foreign Resident Status report released by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, foreign residents totaled 2,662,967 as of Nov. 1 last year. The figure represents a 3.1 percent increase, or 79,341 people, from 2,583,626 a year earlier, based on census data compiled by the National Data Agency.

Foreign residents now account for 5.1 percent of Korea’s total population of 51,817,499 — the highest proportion on record. The ministry defines foreign residents as individuals residing in the country for more than 90 days who hold foreign nationality, have acquired Korean citizenship or were born in Korea to foreign-national or naturalized parents.

By category, non-Korean nationals grew 3.2 percent to 2,109,057, while naturalized citizens increased 4.4 percent to 256,491. Korean-born children of foreign residents edged up 0.7 percent to 297,419.

International students posted the steepest growth among all categories, expanding 17.6 percent, or 41,092 individuals, to 274,329. Foreign workers grew 2.3 percent to 514,043, while marriage immigrants rose 1.1 percent to 194,017. Meanwhile, foreign-nationality ethnic Koreans declined 1.1 percent to 411,314.

Regionally, all 17 top-tier administrative divisions saw an increase in foreign residents. North Gyeongsang Province recorded the highest growth rate at 8.0 percent, followed by Gangwon Province at 7.9 percent and Jeonnam-Gwangju Metropolitan City at 7.8 percent — all maintaining growth rates above 7 percent for two consecutive years.

Gyeonggi Province registered the largest increase with 14,869 new residents, followed by North Gyeongsang Province with 10,282 and South Chungcheong Province with 8,984.

The capital area — comprising Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon — remains the primary hub for foreign residents, hosting 55.9 percent (1,487,968 people) of the nation's total. Gyeonggi Province held the largest regional population with 859,943, followed by Seoul with 453,201 and South Chungcheong Province with 178,229.

At the municipal level, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, retained its position as the city with the largest foreign resident population at 109,544, followed by Hwaseong (83,657), Siheung (79,706), Suwon (74,161) and Bucheon (63,381). The top five municipalities were all located in Gyeonggi Province, unchanged from the previous year.

Municipalities classified as high-density foreign resident areas — defined as having over 10,000 foreign residents or a foreign resident ratio exceeding 5 percent — increased by 12 to 154 nationwide.

"The growth in foreign residents demonstrates that our local communities are transforming into a more diverse and dynamic society," said Jang Heon-beom, director general of the ministry's Local Administration Bureau. "We hope this statistics will be utilized to closely examine regional characteristics and the needs of foreign residents, helping to establish policies that allow foreign residents to settle stably in local communities and grow together with local residents."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.