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South Korea
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Vietnamese lead influx of migrants to South Korea as foreign population hits record high

The Vietnamese population in South Korea jumped by 15.5 per cent last year, the fastest growing among major ethnic groups

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The Korea Times
South Korea’s foreign resident population has climbed to an all-time high, driven by a sharp rise in young migrants and a particularly strong influx from Vietnam, according to new data.

The 2025 Immigrant Residence and Employment Survey, published Thursday, shows that as of May, the number of foreign residents aged 15 or older exceeded 1.69 million, up from 1.56 million a year earlier, an increase of around 8 per cent.

The figure accounts for about 3.3 per cent of South Korea’s total population of roughly 51.8 million – the second-fastest annual increase since 2017.

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The growth is mainly concentrated among younger age groups. The population of foreigners aged 15 to 29 expanded by 12.8 per cent (59,000 people), while those in their thirties grew by 7.8 per cent (34,000).

In contrast, the number of foreign residents in their fifties fell slightly, by 0.4 per cent (1,000).

Foreign students receive a “gat”, or traditional Korean hat, during a traditional coming-of-age ceremony at Yeungnam University in Gyeongsan, South Korea, on May 14. Photo: Yonhap/EPA-EFE
Foreign students receive a “gat”, or traditional Korean hat, during a traditional coming-of-age ceremony at Yeungnam University in Gyeongsan, South Korea, on May 14. Photo: Yonhap/EPA-EFE

By nationality, ethnic Korean Chinese nationals remain the largest foreign resident group, at 506,000. Vietnamese rank second at 270,000, but they are growing far faster than any other major ethnic group.

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