5% of Gunsan City's Population Are 'Foreigners'... 13,374 People

17.5% Increase from Last Year, 'Record High'
City Launches Full-Scale Community Settlement Project

Gunsan City in Jeonbuk announced on the 14th that the proportion of foreign residents has reached 5.0% of the total population for the first time in history.

According to data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and others, the '2023 Status of Foreign Residents in Local Governments' released in October showed that as of November 1 of last year, the number of foreign residents who have lived in Gunsan City for more than three months was a total of 13,374.

This corresponds to 5.0% of Gunsan City's total population of 265,764 based on last year's Population and Housing Census. It increased by 1,996 (17.5%) compared to the previous year. It entered the 5% range for the first time ever, up from 3% in 2015.

Counseling desk at the Foreign Workers Support Center. Provided by Jeonbuk Foreign Workers Support Center

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety classifies cities, counties, and districts with more than 10,000 foreign residents or where foreign residents account for more than 5% of the population as 'concentrated foreign resident areas.' There are 44 such areas nationwide that meet both criteria.

In Jeonbuk Province, the number of foreign residents is second highest in Gunsan City with 13,374, following Jeonju City with 17,694 (2.7% of the total population). In particular, the number of foreign workers is 3,531, the largest population in the province.

By major categories, there are ▲3,531 foreign workers (up 36.3% from the previous year), ▲1,641 international students (up 9.8%), ▲808 overseas Koreans with foreign nationality (up 9.5%), ▲1,035 marriage immigrants (up 0.5%), and ▲1,909 children of foreign residents (up 0.8%).

By nationality, Vietnam recorded 2,654 (25.3%) and China (including Korean-Chinese) 2,608 (24.8%). By length of stay, 5 to less than 10 years accounted for 2,604 (24.8%), followed by less than 1 year with 2,577 (24.5%).

Gunsan City will actively promote projects from next year to help foreign residents settle in the local community. A foreigner support center will be operated within the industrial complex where the most foreign workers reside, providing counseling and Korean language education. Additionally, support policies such as initial settlement subsidies will be provided when excellent foreign personnel convert to long-term visas to aid their settlement.

Lee Heon-hyun, the Population Response Officer, said, "Foreign residents have firmly established themselves as an important part of the local community, accounting for 5% of the total population." He added, "As the number of foreign residents is expected to continue increasing, we plan to strengthen various support measures to ensure their stable settlement."