2.46 million foreigners living in Korea "the highest ever"...4.8% of the population

Last year, the number of foreigners residing in Korea reached 2.46 million, breaking the record for the second consecutive year.

According to the "Status of Foreign Residents in Local Governments" released by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, the number of foreigners living in the country for a long time increased by 200,000 from the previous year to 2.46 million, accounting for 4.8% of the total population.

The large increase in foreign workers and international students by 16.6% and 8.9%, respectively, seems to have affected it.

The number of foreign residents increased by more than 7% in all metropolitan governments except Seoul, with 18.5% in Jeollanam-do and 17% in Gyeongnam.

As for the number of residents by city and province, about 810,000 were foreigners living in Gyeonggi-do, and among them, Ansan, Hwaseong, and Siheung in Gyeonggi Province had the largest number of residents.

The number of areas where foreigners live in each city, county, and district also increased to 127, with 28 out of the 30 areas increasing in the non-metropolitan area.