Number of foreigners in Korea reaches 2.8 million in August
The number of foreign nationals in Korea reached 2.87 million last month, up 5.3 percent from a year earlier, government data showed Saturday. As of end-August, long-term foreign residents stood at 2.25 million, while those on short-term stays, including tourists, came to 629,406, according to immigration data from the justice ministry. By nationality, Chinese nationals accounted for the largest…
In August, the number of foreign nationals residing in South Korea reached 2.87 million, marking a 5.3% increase compared to the previous year, according to government data released on Saturday. At the end of August, long-term foreign residents numbered 2.25 million, while short-term visitors, including tourists, totaled 629,406, as per immigration figures from the justice ministry.
Chinese nationals comprised the largest group, constituting 34.6% of the total foreign population, with 995,562 individuals. Vietnamese nationals ranked second at 383,244, followed by Americans at 181,325.
Although the overall foreign population grew from 2.73 million in August 2025, it marked a slight decline from 2.9 million in July of the same year. Among the 1.64 million registered foreign nationals in Korea, 51.5% were residents of the greater Seoul area, while another 21.3% were concentrated in the southeastern provinces of North and South Gyeongsang.
The trend of increasing foreign nationals in Korea has been consistent since 2021, when the figure dropped below 2 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- No. of foreigners in S. Korea reaches 2.8 mln in Aug. en.yna.co.kr
- Number of foreigners in Korea reaches 2.8 million in August koreatimes.co.kr
