S. Korea’s Migrant Population Expands 5.2 Percent

(MENAFN) South Korea's migrant-background population expanded significantly last year as foreigners streamed into the Asian nation at an accelerated pace, government statistics disclosed Monday.

The migrant-background population—defined as residents who have remained in the country for at least three months—reached 2,715,074 as of November 1, 2024, climbing 5.2 percent from the previous year, Ministry of Data and Statistics data revealed.

This demographic encompasses individuals with migration histories or those having at least one parent with a migrant background.

The migrant-background population's share of South Korea's total population increased 0.3 percentage points to 5.2 percent during the measured period.

Within the total migrant-background population, local residents—including immigrant-born children, naturalized South Koreans, and other categories—rose 4.1 percent to 672,330, while foreign nationals surged 5.6 percent to 2,042,744 last year.

Geographically, Gyeonggi province hosted the highest concentration at 32.7 percent of the total migrant-background population last year, followed by the capital city of Seoul at 17.5 percent, and the western port city of Incheon at 6.6 percent.

The sustained demographic shift reflects South Korea's evolving population composition as the nation increasingly attracts foreign workers, students, and families, transforming its traditionally homogeneous society into a more diverse landscape amid domestic demographic challenges and labor market needs.

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