South Korea
Destination country · migration, permits and visas
- Inflow of foreign nationals, 2023 (OECD)
- 479,720
- Largest group, 2023
- China
DestinationKR2023–2025
Year by year
Data as at 2025
DS<KRSOUTH<KOREA<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< KR1<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<2
Who moves to South Korea
Inflows of foreign nationals recorded by South Korea, by nationality (OECD).
- China132,855
- Vietnam70,827
- Thailand34,846
- United States23,710
- Nepal20,147
- Uzbekistan19,121
- Indonesia18,022
- Russia17,550
- Philippines17,458
- Cambodia14,247
- Myanmar12,601
- Mongolia11,729
- Kazakhstan10,127
- Sri Lanka8,576
- Bangladesh6,622
- Japan6,523
- Canada4,976
- India4,033
- France3,903
- Laos3,532
All inflows by year
Data table
| 2000 | 172,903 |
| 2001 | 163,829 |
| 2002 | 158,884 |
| 2003 | 168,825 |
| 2004 | 178,477 |
| 2005 | 253,657 |
| 2006 | 302,892 |
| 2007 | 300,295 |
| 2008 | 302,114 |
| 2009 | 232,810 |
| 2010 | 293,026 |
| 2011 | 307,216 |
| 2012 | 300,140 |
| 2013 | 360,406 |
| 2014 | 406,975 |
| 2015 | 372,855 |
| 2016 | 402,131 |
| 2017 | 452,578 |
| 2018 | 494,963 |
| 2019 | 438,128 |
| 2020 | 233,078 |
| 2021 | 220,529 |
| 2022 | 412,860 |
| 2023 | 479,720 |
Source: OECD, International Migration Database (OECD.ELS.IMD), accessed 24 Oct 2026Data as at 2023
Foreign nationals living in South Korea
Stock of foreign nationals by nationality (latest year reported) and acquisitions of South Korea's nationality (OECD).
- China828,715
- Vietnam227,931
- Uzbekistan82,692
- United States80,343
- Nepal60,663
- Russia55,136
- Cambodia53,912
- Indonesia50,598
- Philippines48,661
- Thailand40,068
- Myanmar39,630
- Kazakhstan33,442
- Mongolia32,467
- Sri Lanka28,258
- Japan28,186
- China5,081
- Vietnam3,952
- United States2,693
- Canada678
- Taiwan435
- Philippines433
- Cambodia370
- Thailand190
- Australia165
- Mongolia154
- Japan150
- Uzbekistan133
- Russia122
- New Zealand122
- Kyrgyzstan33
Acquisitions of nationality by year
Data table
| 2001 | 1,442 |
| 2002 | 3,527 |
| 2003 | 7,323 |
| 2004 | 8,845 |
| 2005 | 16,352 |
| 2006 | 7,843 |
| 2007 | 9,207 |
| 2008 | 14,585 |
| 2011 | 19,499 |
| 2012 | 12,516 |
| 2013 | 13,942 |
| 2014 | 14,188 |
| 2015 | 13,915 |
| 2016 | 12,826 |
| 2017 | 13,270 |
| 2018 | 14,736 |
| 2019 | 12,853 |
| 2020 | 16,044 |
| 2021 | 14,046 |
| 2022 | 13,854 |
| 2023 | 15,130 |
Source: OECD, International Migration Database (OECD.ELS.IMD), accessed 24 Oct 2026Data as at 2023
International migrants
People living in South Korea who were born in another country, or who hold foreign citizenship where country of birth is not recorded: mid-year estimates (UN DESA).
- China756,684
- Vietnam260,609
- Thailand199,861
- Uzbekistan59,361
- United States53,226
- Mongolia45,698
- Nepal43,743
- Philippines37,555
- Cambodia33,452
- Kazakhstan30,061
- Russia28,324
- Indonesia27,807
International migrants by year
Data table
| 1990 | 18,499 |
| 1995 | 52,719 |
| 2000 | 144,426 |
| 2005 | 231,744 |
| 2010 | 566,098 |
| 2015 | 1,312,172 |
| 2020 | 1,723,389 |
| 2024 | 1,811,507 |
- International migrants, 2024
- 1,811,507
- Share of the population, 2024
- 3.5%
- Counted by
- country of birth, refugees added
Source: United Nations, DESA Population Division, International Migrant Stock 2024 (CC BY 3.0 IGO)Data as at 2024
Migrants in the labour market
Labour force survey results for South Korea: residents aged 15 and over who were born abroad, compared with those born in the country (ILOSTAT).
| Indicator | Born in the country | Born abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Employment-to-population ratio, 2020 | 58.3% | 65.9% |
- Born abroad: share of all workers, 2020
- 4.4%
- Born abroad: share of high-skill jobs, 2020
- 1.5%
- Born abroad: share of medium-skill jobs, 2020
- 4.8%
- Born abroad: share of elementary jobs, 2020
- 7.6%
Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT (CC BY 4.0)Data as at 2020
South Korea's embassies and consulates abroad
Countries in which South Korea has an embassy or consulate, as recorded in Wikidata.
| Country | Embassies | Consulates-general | Consulates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 1 | — | — |
| Algeria | 1 | — | — |
| Angola | 1 | — | — |
| Argentina | 1 | — | — |
| Australia | 1 | 1 | — |
| Austria | 1 | — | — |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | — | — |
| Bahrain | 1 | — | — |
| Bangladesh | 1 | — | — |
| Belarus | 1 | — | — |
| Belgium | 1 | — | — |
| Bolivia | 1 | — | — |
| Brazil | 1 | 1 | — |
| Brunei | 1 | — | — |
| Bulgaria | 1 | — | — |
| Cambodia | 1 | — | — |
| Canada | 1 | 1 | — |
| Chile | 1 | — | — |
| China | 1 | 8 | — |
| Colombia | 1 | — | — |
| Costa Rica | 1 | — | — |
| Croatia | 1 | — | — |
| Cuba | 1 | — | — |
| Czechia | 1 | — | — |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 1 | — | — |
| DR Congo | 1 | — | — |
| Dominican Republic | 1 | — | — |
| Ecuador | 1 | — | — |
| Egypt | 1 | — | — |
| Estonia | 1 | — | — |
| Ethiopia | 1 | — | — |
| Fiji | 1 | — | — |
| Finland | 1 | — | — |
| France | 1 | — | — |
| Gabon | 1 | — | — |
| Georgia | 1 | — | — |
| Germany | 1 | 1 | — |
| Ghana | 1 | — | — |
| Greece | 1 | — | — |
| Guatemala | 1 | — | — |
| Honduras | 1 | — | — |
| Hungary | 1 | — | — |
| India | 1 | 1 | — |
| Indonesia | 1 | — | — |
| Iran | 1 | — | — |
| Iraq | 1 | — | — |
| Ireland | 1 | — | — |
| Israel | 1 | — | — |
| Italy | 2 | — | — |
| Japan | 1 | 9 | — |
| Jordan | 1 | — | — |
| Kazakhstan | 1 | — | — |
| Kenya | 1 | — | — |
| Kuwait | 1 | — | — |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1 | — | — |
| Latvia | 1 | — | — |
| Lebanon | 1 | — | — |
| Libya | 1 | — | — |
| Lithuania | 1 | — | — |
| Luxembourg | 1 | — | — |
| Malaysia | 1 | — | — |
| Mexico | 1 | — | — |
| Mongolia | 1 | — | — |
| Morocco | 1 | — | — |
| Myanmar | 1 | — | — |
| Nepal | 1 | — | — |
| New Zealand | 1 | — | — |
| Nigeria | 1 | — | — |
| Norway | 1 | — | — |
| Oman | 1 | — | — |
| Pakistan | 1 | — | — |
| Panama | 1 | — | — |
| Papua New Guinea | 1 | — | — |
| Paraguay | 1 | — | — |
| Peru | 1 | — | — |
| Philippines | 1 | — | — |
| Poland | 1 | — | — |
| Portugal | 1 | — | — |
| Qatar | 1 | — | — |
| Romania | 1 | — | — |
| Russia | 1 | 2 | — |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 | — | — |
| Senegal | 1 | — | — |
| Serbia | 1 | — | — |
| Singapore | 1 | — | — |
| Slovakia | 1 | — | — |
| Slovenia | 1 | — | — |
| South Africa | 1 | — | — |
| Spain | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | — | — |
| Sudan | 1 | — | — |
| Sweden | 1 | — | — |
| Switzerland | 1 | — | — |
| Tajikistan | 1 | — | — |
| Tanzania | 1 | — | — |
| Thailand | 1 | — | — |
| Timor-Leste | 1 | — | — |
| Tunisia | 1 | — | — |
| Turkmenistan | 1 | — | — |
| Türkiye | 1 | 1 | — |
| Ukraine | 1 | — | — |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | — | — |
| United Kingdom | 1 | — | — |
| United States | 1 | 10 | — |
| Uruguay | 1 | — | — |
| Uzbekistan | 1 | — | — |
| Venezuela | 1 | — | — |
| Vietnam | 1 | 2 | — |
- Countries
- 108
- Missions
- 148
Source: Wikidata (CC0)Data as at Oct 2026
Remittances sent abroad
Personal remittances paid from South Korea to other countries, in current US dollars (World Bank).
Remittances paid by year, US$ million
Data table
| 2000 | 3,640 |
| 2001 | 4,486 |
| 2002 | 5,862 |
| 2003 | 6,806 |
| 2004 | 6,931 |
| 2005 | 6,899 |
| 2006 | 7,463 |
| 2007 | 8,019 |
| 2008 | 7,885 |
| 2009 | 7,492 |
| 2010 | 9,544 |
| 2011 | 9,980 |
| 2012 | 9,756 |
| 2013 | 9,403 |
| 2014 | 9,978 |
| 2015 | 8,720 |
| 2016 | 10,784 |
| 2017 | 12,888 |
| 2018 | 13,531 |
| 2019 | 11,232 |
| 2020 | 10,729 |
| 2021 | 11,816 |
| 2022 | 9,859 |
| 2023 | 12,076 |
| 2024 | 14,333 |
| 2025 | 14,309 |
- Remittances paid, 2025
- US$14,309 million
- Average cost of sending US$200 from South Korea, 2023
- 4.2%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)Data as at 2025
Corridors into South Korea
Nationalities with a dedicated corridor page.
- China → South Korea
- Vietnam → South Korea
- Thailand → South Korea
- United States → South Korea
- Nepal → South Korea
- Uzbekistan → South Korea
- Indonesia → South Korea
- Russia → South Korea
- Philippines → South Korea
- Cambodia → South Korea
- Myanmar → South Korea
- Mongolia → South Korea
- Kazakhstan → South Korea
- Sri Lanka → South Korea
- Bangladesh → South Korea
- Japan → South Korea
- Canada → South Korea
- India → South Korea
- France → South Korea
- Laos → South Korea
- Pakistan → South Korea
- Malaysia → South Korea
- Kyrgyzstan → South Korea
- Germany → South Korea
- Taiwan → South Korea
- Australia → South Korea
- United Kingdom → South Korea
- South Africa → South Korea
- Türkiye → South Korea
- Timor-Leste → South Korea
- Ukraine → South Korea
Source: OECD, International Migration Database (OECD.ELS.IMD), accessed 24 Oct 2026Data as at 2023
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