[Current Affairs Show] 'Young Westerners' Are Flocking to Korea

Record 2.78 Million Foreigners Staying in Korea
Sharp Increase in Visitors from the U.K., Italy, and France
Those Aged 40 and Under Account for 60% of the Total

■ Broadcast: The Asia Business Daily 'So Jongsup's Current Affairs Show' (Mon-Fri, 4-5 p.m.)

■ Host: Political Specialist So Jongsup ■ Director: PD Lee Kyeongdo

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These days, when you walk down the street, you notice a lot of foreigners. At some point, it just became that way. Sometimes Seoul feels like a miniature version of New York. Where have all these foreigners come from? According to the monthly statistical report of the Immigration Policy Headquarters of the Ministry of Justice, as of December 31 last year, the number of foreigners staying in Korea was 2.78 million, the highest figure ever recorded. That is almost twice the population of Daejeon.

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As of the end of last year, 2.78 million foreigners were staying in Korea, the highest ever

Last year, 19.58 million foreigners entered Korea. Which nationalities came to Korea? China, Japan, and Taiwan ranked first, second, and third. There were 5.78 million Chinese visitors, 3.69 million Japanese visitors, and 1.91 million visitors from Taiwan. Around 1.57 million Americans also entered Korea. Many people came from the Philippines, Hong Kong (not a country, but classified as such here for convenience), Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. The government is aiming to attract 30 million inbound visitors to Korea by 2030.

Why are foreigners coming into Korea? When foreigners who entered Korea over the one-year period from April 2024 to March 2025 were categorized by purpose of visit, about 15% were for healthcare. Plastic surgery and other medical services, skincare and beauty, shopping, and K-culture were the core reasons. With foreigners pouring in, how does the growth rate look?

Number of Australian visitors up 7,300% compared with five years ago

Looking at the top 10 countries in terms of growth in foreign arrivals, Hong Kong comes first. Compared with five years ago, arrivals from Hong Kong have increased by a staggering 44,900%. That is an extremely steep rise. Taiwan and Japan also ranked high. Australia is particularly noteworthy. Although Australia did not make it into the top 10 in absolute number of arrivals, it ranked fourth in terms of growth. The number of Australian visitors has risen by 7,300%. For Australians, Korea has emerged as a leading tourist destination in Asia. Australian media have even reported that the number of Australians visiting Korea has surged. Singapore, Thailand, China, Mongolia, and Vietnam follow in that order. Mexico ranked 10th. The number of Mexican visitors has increased by 2,400% compared with five years ago.

Arrivals from the U.K., Italy, and France up more than 1,000%

The United Kingdom and Italy are tied at 11th place. Arrivals in Korea by British and Italian nationals have increased by 1,900% compared with five years ago. France, which ranked 14th, shows a similar pattern, with arrivals up 1,100%. This demonstrates that not only Asians, but also people from Mexico, Australia, and Europe are flocking to Korea. Seoul has become one of the hottest cities in the world. The influence of the Korean Wave and Korea’s image as a safe travel destination have all played a part.

Beyond Asians, Westerners are flocking in; 60% are under 40

What does the age distribution look like for foreigners visiting Korea? In a word, it is mainly young people. Looking at the age distribution of foreigners who visited Korea last year, those aged 20 to 29 accounted for 24.6%, and those aged 30 to 39 accounted for 25.2%. People in their 20s and 30s together made up 49.8%. Adding those aged 19 and under, who accounted for 9.5%, people aged 39 and under represented 59.3%. In other words, about two-thirds of foreigners visiting Korea are young people aged 40 or under. In 2013, visitors in their 20s and 30s accounted for 27.6%, so their share has increased by more than 22 percentage points.

Looking at the trend in the number of foreigners staying in Korea, there were 1.9 million in 2015. The number rose to 2.52 million in 2019, but then fell below 2 million during the COVID-19 period. After that, it started to increase again, reaching 2.78 million as of December last year, the highest number of foreigners ever staying in Korea.

Among foreigners living in Korea, Chinese rank first, followed by Vietnamese and Americans

By year and nationality, the top 10 nationalities of foreigners staying in Korea were examined. The largest group of foreigners living in Korea are Chinese nationals. They are followed by Vietnamese, Americans, Thais, Uzbeks, and Nepalis. Indonesians, Filipinos, Japanese, and Cambodians come next. This gives a rough idea of the composition of foreign workers in Korea’s rural areas and manufacturing sites. The top 10 countries in terms of growth in the number of foreigners staying in Korea are Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Nepal, Myanmar, Taiwan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. This shows the flow of foreign nationals contributing to Korea’s industries.

In Seoul, most foreigners live in Guro District; in the metropolitan area, Ansan City; outside the metropolitan area, Gimhae City

So where do foreigners live within Korea? In Seoul, the district with the largest foreign population is Guro District. Many also live in Yeongdeungpo District, Gwanak District, Geumcheon District, and Gwangjin District.

Outside Seoul, the largest number of foreigners live in Ansan City, Gyeonggi Province. About 70,000 live in Danwon District and around 30,000 in Sangnok District. That is over 100,000 people, or 13.3% of Ansan’s total population. Approximately 72,000 foreigners live in Siheung City, Gyeonggi Province, accounting for about 13% of all residents there. Next come Hwaseong City with 69,000, Asan City in South Chungcheong Province with 49,000, and Gimpo City with 40,000. The only locality outside the Seoul metropolitan area that ranks in the top 10 for foreign residents is Gimhae City in South Gyeongsang Province. The population of Gimhae City has been continuously increasing, and this is due to the growth in its foreign population. Compared with 2024, its population in 2025 increased by about 3,200.

Among Koreans acquiring foreign nationality, the U.S., Canada, and Australia rank highest

Naturalization is another factor reshaping Korea’s foreign population map. Last year, about 11,000 people were naturalized as Korean citizens, and roughly 6,000 of them were Chinese nationals. They were followed by Vietnamese, Filipinos, and Thais. Among Koreans acquiring foreign nationality, the most common destinations were the United States, Canada, and Australia, in that order.