Resident foreign workers top 1.1 mln: report

▲ This undated file photo shows foreign workers and South Korean farmers planting potatoes in a field in the eastern city of Gangneung. (Yonhap)

foreign workers-tally

Resident foreign workers top 1.1 mln: report

SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- The number of employed foreign residents in South Korea had surpassed 1.1 million as of May last year, a report said Monday.

The number of resident foreign workers with student visas, such as D-2, D-4-1 and D-4-7, also rose to 56,000, marking a surge of 71.8 percent compared with May 2024, according to the report from the Korea Employment Information Service.

There were a total of 1,109,000 employed foreigners residing here as of May 2025, an increase of 99,000 from the same month of the previous year, the report said.

By gender, men accounted for 68 percent with 750,000, and women for 32 percent with 360,000, it said. By age group, those in their 30s accounted for the largest share at 33.2 percent, followed by those aged 15-29 at 25.7 percent, those in their 40s at 18.7 percent, 50s at 13.5 percent and 60s at 8.9 percent, it added.

Resident foreign workers holding nonprofessional employment (E-9) visas were the most numerous, totaling 321,000. Employed foreigners with E-9 visas decreased significantly from 2020 to 2022 due to the impact of COVID-19 but have been showing a steep increase again since 2023.

By industry, the largest proportion of foreign workers was in mining and manufacturing at 44.9 percent, followed by wholesale and retail trade, and accommodation and food service with 20.4 percent, the report said.

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