South Korea's foreign resident count climbs to 2.87 million in August
Government figures show 2.87 million foreign nationals were in South Korea last month, a 5.3 % rise from a year earlier.
Immigration statistics released by the justice ministry reveal that South Korea hosted 2.87 million foreign nationals in August, representing a 5.3 % increase compared with the same month last year. Of these, 2.25 million were long-term residents and 629,406 were on short-term stays such as tourism. Chinese citizens comprised the biggest share at 34.6 % (995,562 people), with Vietnamese (383,244) and Americans (181,325) following.
While the August total dipped from July’s 2.9 million, it remains well above the sub-2 million level recorded in 2021 amid COVID-19 disruptions. Registered foreign residents tend to concentrate in the greater Seoul area (51.5 %) and the southeastern provinces of North and South Gyeongsang (21.3 %). The upward trend reflects a steady post-pandemic rise in foreign presence.
