South Korea's Foreign Population Hits Record 2.73 Million as Aging Deepens

A Record Population Amid a Shrinking Workforce

South Korea's foreign population reached a record 2.73 million in June 2025, rising 1.5 percent from the previous month, according to the Ministry of Justice's Korea Immigration Service. The total includes people working, studying and living with family in the country, alongside visitors staying for shorter periods.

The milestone comes as South Korea faces a shrinking workforce, mounting labor shortages and one of the world's most severe demographic declines. With a total population of around 51.67 million in 2025, the country has a fertility rate of 0.75 and nearly one in five people are aged 65 or older.

Foreign workers are filling jobs in manufacturing, agriculture and construction, while overseas Koreans, international students and skilled professionals form other important parts of the growing population. Nearly half of foreign residents are between 20 and 39, bringing younger people into a society whose median age has reached 45.6.

As of July 27, 2025, the central policy challenge is how to meet immediate demand for workers while responding to a much longer demographic decline. South Korea has expanded opportunities for temporary migration, but permanent settlement remains limited for many people. At the same time, the government is preparing a national census intended to be more accessible to foreign residents and considering measures to encourage families to have children.

The June total also marks a recovery beyond the previous peak before COVID-19. South Korea had 2.52 million foreign residents in 2019. The latest figure is about 210,000 higher, showing that the rebound has moved beyond restoring the population lost during pandemic restrictions.

Who Makes Up the 2.73 Million?

About 1.55 million people in the June total are residents staying for longer periods who have registered their personal information with local immigration offices. Another approximately 552,000 are overseas Koreans holding F-4 visas. The remaining 620,000 are visitors staying for shorter periods, most of them tourists visiting for fewer than 90 days.

F-4 visas are available to foreign nationals of Korean ancestry. They provide rights similar to those available to Korean citizens in several areas, including opening bank accounts and enrolling in the national health insurance program. Many members of this group are ethnic Koreans returning from China and other countries.

Chinese nationals are the largest nationality group, accounting for 972,176 people, or 35.6 percent of the foreign population. Vietnamese nationals follow with 341,153, then Americans with 196,664, Thais with 173,710 and Uzbeks with 98,457.

The age profile helps explain why migration matters to employers. Nearly half of foreign residents are aged 20 to 39, an age range closely connected to work and higher education. South Korea's demand for people of working age is growing as older workers retire and fewer young people enter the workforce.

Visa Rules Shape Everyday Opportunities

South Korea's immigration system has many visa categories, each carrying different rights and restrictions. A person's category affects the work they can do, the length of their stay and their opportunities to establish a more permanent life in the country.

The visa breakdown lists F-4 holders as the largest group, at 554,895, alongside the approximately 552,000 overseas Koreans counted in the broad population breakdown. E-9 visas, issued to workers under the Employment Permit System, account for 341,453 people.

Other major categories include F-5 permanent residency, with 214,036 holders; D-2 student visas, with 191,297; and B-2 tourist visas, with 171,063. Together, these categories illustrate how the headline population spans very different circumstances, from permanent residents to students and temporary visitors.

Permanent residency offers a different prospect from a visa tied to a limited period of employment or study. South Korea's many categories create a system with several tiers, in which only some groups qualify for more lasting or advantageous status. For foreign residents, the practical issue is whether a route exists from their current visa to a more secure future.

Where Foreign Residents Are Settling

More than half of South Korea's foreign residents live in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area. The concentration reflects the capital region's economic opportunities and the country's wider pattern of urban living.

The Yeongnam region, which includes Daegu, Busan and Ulsan, is home to 20.3 percent of foreign residents. The Chungcheong region accounts for 12.9 percent, while the Honam region has 8.8 percent.

More than 82 percent of South Korea's total population lives in cities, making it one of the most urbanized countries in the world. Foreign residents are therefore settling within an already highly urban society, with the largest share drawn to the capital and its surrounding communities.

Migration also matters outside the main metropolitan centers. Foreign residents help sustain local communities facing depopulation and fill jobs in sectors such as agriculture. Their contribution reaches beyond the largest cities even though the population figures show a strong concentration around Seoul.

Why Aging and Low Birth Rates Matter

South Korea's population peaked in 2021 and has since begun to decline. Its population growth rate is negative, and projections point to a continuing fall over the coming decades.

The fertility rate of 0.75 is the lowest in the world and far below the 2.1 generally needed for population replacement. The fertility rate describes the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime. A replacement rate is the level at which each generation is broadly large enough to replace the one before it.

South Korea's median age is 45.6, meaning half the population is older than that age and half is younger. Nearly 20 percent of residents are at least 65, placing the country in the category known as a super-aged society.

A smaller workforce creates immediate problems for employers, especially in industries that depend on substantial physical labor. Over time, population aging also increases pressure on pensions and healthcare, as more older people need support and fewer people of working age are available to sustain the economy.

These changes have raised concerns about economic growth over the longer term. Immigration is becoming a larger part of the response because it can bring people of working age into the country while measures intended to increase births take time to affect the workforce.

The Employment Permit System and Its Limits

South Korea introduced the Employment Permit System, commonly known as EPS, in 2004. It allows small and medium businesses to hire foreign workers legally for jobs requiring fewer formal skills, helping address persistent labor shortages in manufacturing, agriculture and construction.

Workers can be hired for up to three years under the system. EPS has helped bring many migrant workers into regular legal employment, giving businesses access to labor they have struggled to find locally.

The program does not provide a clear route to permanent settlement or citizenship. Its focus on employment for a limited period reflects South Korea's cautious approach to immigration, even as employers depend increasingly on foreign workers.

The Migration Policy Institute describes South Korea's immigration policies as restrictive compared with those of other developed countries and places immigrants at just under 5 percent of the population. Most foreign residents hold temporary visas, while opportunities for permanent settlement are limited and often depend on a person's visa category and perceived economic contribution.

For businesses, temporary permits can help fill vacancies. For migrants, the same arrangement can leave their longer future tied to rules governing employment and visa eligibility. South Korea's policy debate therefore involves both the number of workers admitted and the conditions under which they can remain.

From Emigration to a New Immigration Peak

Until the 1990s, South Korea was primarily a country people left rather than one attracting large numbers of immigrants. Substantial immigration developed over the following decades as economic growth increased demand for labor.

The recent figures trace a sharp pandemic decline followed by a sustained recovery:

• 2019: The foreign population reached a previous high of 2.52 million.
• 2021: The total fell to 1.96 million amid COVID-19 travel restrictions and economic uncertainty.
• 2023: The population recovered to 2.51 million as the pandemic subsided and South Korea moved into an endemic stage.
• End of 2024: The foreign population reached 2.65 million.
• June 2025: The total climbed to a record 2.73 million, up 1.5 percent from the previous month.

The June figure is about 770,000 above the 2021 low, an increase of roughly 39 percent based on those rounded totals. It is also approximately 80,000 higher than the figure at the end of 2024.

The recovery brings migration into greater focus in a country whose total population is moving in the opposite direction. Foreign residents are becoming a more substantial part of South Korea's demographic future, rather than simply returning in the numbers seen before the pandemic.

Japan Faces Similar Pressures

Japan's foreign population reached 3.8 million in 2024. Like South Korea, Japan has a super-aged society, labor shortages and an immigration system with substantial reliance on temporary migration and restrictions on settlement.

Both countries have gradually raised migration quotas and introduced a wider range of visa schemes. Major liberalization nevertheless appears unlikely in the near future, reflecting continued caution about opening broader routes to immigration and permanent residence.

The comparison shows that South Korea's situation forms part of a wider regional challenge: aging societies need workers, while governments retain limits on how long many foreign workers can stay and what status they can obtain.

According to demographic analysts, South Korea's workforce could halve by 2065 if current trends continue. Such a decline would threaten economic growth and social stability. Government responses include financial incentives for childbirth, expanded childcare support and efforts to make the country more welcoming to foreign residents.

A Census and Policies for a Changing Population

South Korea's statistics agency is preparing a survey for the 2025 national census that is intended to be more accessible to foreigners. The aim is to make participation easier to understand for people who do not speak Korean.

A census counts people and gathers information used in public planning. Making it accessible to foreign residents can help the government record their circumstances more accurately and recognize their needs and contributions when designing policies.

President Lee Jae Myung, elected in 2025, has made demographic recovery a central priority of his administration. His proposals include substantial loans for newlywed couples that can be forgiven depending on the number of children they have, expanded child allowances and tax reforms intended to support families.

These proposals sit alongside wider efforts to support childbirth and childcare. Financial help can reduce some household pressures, but concerns remain that money alone will be insufficient to reverse the population decline.

High housing costs, intense competition in education and changing attitudes toward marriage and family are among the deeper social and economic factors affecting decisions about having children. The administration faces the task of responding to those pressures while also managing labor shortages that are already affecting employers.

Integration and the Longer Demographic Outlook

Foreign residents have varied needs and experiences. Some are ethnic Koreans returning from abroad, while others arrive from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Language barriers, discrimination and difficulties accessing services can complicate everyday life.

A more accessible census and more inclusive public services are steps toward responding to that diversity. Wider social adaptation will also be needed as South Korea becomes increasingly multicultural.

Migrants contribute to the tax base, fill essential vacancies and help sustain communities losing residents. International students and skilled professionals also contribute to research, entrepreneurship and connections with other countries. Migration therefore affects local services, businesses, universities and community life as well as population totals.

Statistics Korea has recorded a recent increase in births, described as the fastest rate in a generation. Even with that improvement, fertility remains far below replacement level. A rise from a very low starting point can bring welcome growth in births while leaving the longer demographic pressures in place.

Projections suggest that, without substantial changes, South Korea's population could fall to just 15 percent of its current level by 2125. The number of seniors for every 100 people of working age is also expected to rise sharply in the coming decades, increasing the demands placed on workers and public support systems.

Those longer forecasts depend on how current trends develop. Immigration can help address labor needs and bring younger residents into the country, but population aging also requires decisions about family support, public services and the opportunities available to migrants.

South Korea's immediate challenge is to balance economic demand for foreign workers with political caution and social concerns. The experiences of foreign residents, including whether they can access services and build secure lives, will be central to how the country manages its changing population.

Key Points

• South Korea's foreign population reached a record 2.73 million in June 2025, up 1.5 percent from May.
• Chinese nationals were the largest group, with 972,176 people, followed by Vietnamese, Americans, Thais and Uzbeks.
• Nearly half of foreign residents were aged 20 to 39, and more than half lived in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area.
• The Employment Permit System helps fill labor shortages, but many temporary migrants have limited routes to permanent settlement.
• South Korea's fertility rate was 0.75, while nearly 20 percent of the population was aged 65 or older.
• The 2025 census is being prepared to better include foreign residents, while President Lee Jae Myung has proposed loans, child allowances and tax changes to support families.
• The foreign population has surpassed its previous peak before COVID-19 as South Korea faces continued population decline and aging.