South Korea's Immigrant-Background Population Hits Record 2.81 Million, 5.4 Percent of Total; China-Linked Youth a Major Source Group
South Korea's immigrant-background population reached a record 2.81 million as of November 1, 2025, or 5.4 percent of the country's 51.82 million people, the Ministry of Data and Statistics said on October 26. Among the young generation, those linked to Chinese families account for more than a quarter, highlighting the scale of the ethnic Chinese community in Korea.
The figure rose by about 95,000 from 2.71 million a year earlier, lifting the share by 0.2 percentage points. Foreign nationals make up 75.1 percent of the group, second-generation immigrants 14.1 percent and naturalized citizens and others 9.1 percent; the working-age population (15-64) stands at 2.3 million. People in their 30s form the largest cohort at 667,000 (23.7 percent), followed by those in their 20s at 607,000 (21.6 percent), up 36,000 for the biggest age-group increase.
Some 56 percent live in the greater Seoul area: Gyeonggi Province 32.3 percent, Seoul 17.1 percent and Incheon 6.7 percent. South Chungcheong Province has the highest regional share at 8.3 percent, and 21 cities and counties nationwide have immigrant-background shares above 10 percent.
Among those aged 24 and under, 28.1 percent have Vietnamese parents, 15.7 percent Chinese parents and a further 11.4 percent ethnic-Korean Chinese parents, meaning more than one in four young people of immigrant background are linked to Chinese families.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：京畿道安山市元谷洞多文化饮食街标志，柱身有中文「多文化饮食街」字样。/ The Multicultural Food Street sign in Wongok-dong, Ansan, with Chinese characters. 图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，作者Piotrus，开放授权。
