Korea’s K-12 enrollment hits record low as immigrant-background students hit record high

South Korea witnessed a record low enrollment in K-12 schools this year, with a decrease of nearly 190,000 students, according to government data. Meanwhile, the number of students from immigrant backgrounds surged by over 8,000, reaching a new high. The Ministry of Education and the Korean Educational Development Institute compiled the figures, showing that the total number of students in kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools fell to 5.36 million, a 3.4% decline from the previous year.

The steepest drop occurred in elementary schools, with enrollment decreasing by 126,118 students, or 5.4%, to 2.22 million. Kindergarten enrollment also declined by 12,259 students, or 2.5%, to 469,304. High school enrollment dropped by 20,074 students, or 1.5%, to 1.28 million. However, the number of students from multicultural or immigrant backgrounds increased to a record 210,838, a 4.3% rise from the prior year.

Vietnam accounted for the largest share of these students, with 65,247, or 30.9% of the total. This marked a significant increase from previous years, surpassing 100,000 in 2017 and 200,000 in 2025.