South Korea migrant-background population growth

South Korea is experiencing significant demographic shifts driven by a growing migrant-background population, which reached 2.81 million people, or 5.4% of the total population, by late 2024. This group, comprising foreign nationals, naturalized citizens, second-generation immigrants, and North Korean defectors, has helped stabilize the national population as the number of native-born citizens continues to decline.

The migrant-background demographic is notably younger than the general public, with approximately 10% of citizens in their 20s and 30s belonging to this group. Additionally, 81.9% of this population falls within the working-age bracket, significantly higher than the national average.

While the population is geographically diverse, 56% reside in the Seoul metropolitan area, and certain regions like South Chungcheong Province show high concentrations. Within the education sector, there is a notable surge in high school students with migrant backgrounds, which increased by 124.9% over a four-year period. However, experts have identified a critical gap in support, noting that while most Korean language classes are allocated to elementary schools, high schools receive only 7.5% of such resources, leading to high student-to-class ratios.