According to a press release from the Ministry of Interior and Safety on November 10, 2023, the Republic of Korea is experiencing a significant demographic shift.
As of November 1, 2022, the number of foreign-born population has reached a historic high of 2.26 million, representing 4.4% of the total population. This milestone surpasses all previous records since the government commenced data collection in 2006.
Comparing this figure to the previous year, there has been a notable increase of 123,679 individuals, constituting a 5.8% rise. This growth is primarily attributed to a surge in foreign students by 32,790 (20.9%) and an increase in Korean descendants with foreign nationality by 29,000 (7.9%).
The term "foreign-born population" encompasses individuals born abroad who have undergone naturalization in Korea.
The total number of individuals acquiring Korean nationality reached 223,825, indicating a growth of 12,945 from the preceding year, marking a 6.1% increase. A breakdown based on the country of origin reveals that 44.0% were Chinese (Korean), 22.6% were Vietnamese, 18.5% were Chinese, 4.6% were Filipinos, and 2.2% were Cambodians.
For a detailed breakdown of the number of foreign residents by type in 2021 and 2022, refer to the table below:
2021 | 2022 | |
Foreign Workers | 395,175 | 403,139 |
Marriage Immigrants | 174,632 | 175,756 |
Foreign Students | 156,607 | 189,397 |
Korean Descendants | 368,581 | 397,581 |
Other Foreigners | 554,972 | 586,473 |
Naturalized Residents | 210,880 | 223,825 |
Minor Children (born in Korea) | 273,722 | 282,077 |
Total | 2,134,569 | 2,258,248 |
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