The number of immigrants, including naturalized citizens, in South Korea has been rising steadily. (image: Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation)
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of immigrants, including naturalized citizens, in South Korea topped 1.3 million as of May this year, government data showed Thursday.
The number of immigrants, including naturalized citizens, in South Korea has been rising steadily, reaching 1.32 million this year, up 1.7 percent from a year ago, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.
However, the number of naturalized citizens fell 6.7 percent on year to 49,000 as of end-May, the data showed.
By nationality, Chinese nationals topped the list at 48.6 percent, with Vietnamese at 12.5 percent, the data showed.
The number of foreign residents who have secured a job in the country totaled 914,000 as of end-May this year, which translates to about 69.1 percent of foreign residents being employed.
Some 34,000 people who have been naturalized in the past five years also worked, with their economic participation rate standing at 68.9 percent.
About 63 percent of foreigners staying in South Korea long term lived in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the data showed.
(Yonhap)
