Demographic features of South Korea's population include population density, ethnicity, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. The common language and especially culture are widely considered more important elements by South Koreans in terms of identity than citizenship.
In 2012, South Korea's population surpassed 50 million citizens for the first time in history, and by the end of 2021, the country's population had peaked at approximately 51.77 million people. However, in recent years the total fertility rate (TFR) of South Korea has plummeted, leading some researchers to suggest that if current trends continue, the country's population will shrink to approximately 28 million people by the end of the 21st century. In 2018, fertility in South Korea became a topic of international debate after only 26,500 babies were born in October and an estimated 325,000 babies for the year, causing the country to achieve the lowest birth rate in the world. In a further indication of South Korea's dramatic decline in fertility, in 2020 the country recorded more deaths than births, resulting in a population decline for the first time since modern records began. In 2024, South Korea had a total fertility rate of 0.75, the lowest in the world.
South Korea's population decline has been a direct result of record-low birth rates, which have been, according to many experts and researchers, a consequence of the country's high economic inequality, relatively high costs of living, low wages for an OECD member country, lack of job opportunities for young adults, and rising housing costs. Additionally, South Korea is also the country with the highest suicide rate among OECD member states and the wider developed world.
In South Korea, a variety of different Asian people had migrated to the Korean Peninsula in past centuries; however, few have remained permanently. South Korea is a highly homogenous nation, but has in recent decades become home to a number of foreign residents (4.37%), whereas North Korea has not experienced this trend. However, many of them are ethnic Koreans with foreign citizenship. Many residents from China, post-Soviet states, the United States, and Japan are, in fact, repatriated ethnic Koreans (labeled "Overseas Koreans") who may meet criteria for expedited acquisition of South Korean citizenship. For example, migrants from the People's Republic of China (PRC) make up 56.5% of foreign nationals; however, approximately 70% of the Chinese citizens in Korea are (), PRC citizens of Korean ethnicity.
Population trends
300px|thumb|right|Population of the Korean Peninsula 1910–2016
The population of South Korea showed robust growth since the republic's establishment in 1948, and then dramatically slowed down with the effects of its economic growth. In the first official census, taken in 1949, the total population of South Korea was calculated at 20,188,641 people. The 1985 census total was 40,466,577. Population growth was slow, averaging about 1.1% annually during the period from 1949 to 1955, when the population registered at 21.5 million. Growth accelerated between 1955 and 1966 to 29.2 million or an annual average of 2.8%, but declined significantly during the period 1966 to 1985 to an annual average of 1.7%. Thereafter, the annual average growth rate was estimated to be less than 1%, similar to the low growth rates of most industrialized countries and to the target figure set by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs for the 1990s. As of January 1, 1989, the population of South Korea was estimated to be approximately 42,200,000.
The proportion of the total population under fifteen years of age has risen and fallen with the growth rate. In 1955, approximately 41.2% of the population was under fifteen years of age, a percentage that rose to 43.5% in 1966 before falling to 38.3% in 1975, 34.2% in 1980, and 29.9% in 1985. In the past, the large proportion of children relative to the total population put great strains on the country's economy, particularly because substantial resources were invested in education facilities. With the slowdown in the population growth rate and a rise in the median age (from 18.7 years to 21.8 years between 1960 and 1980), the age structure of the population has begun to resemble the columnar pattern typical of developed countries, rather than the pyramidal pattern found in most parts of the Third World.
The decline in the population growth rate and in the proportion of people under fifteen years of age after 1966 reflected the success of official and unofficial birth control programs. The government of President Syngman Rhee (1948–60) was conservative in such matters. Although Christian churches initiated a family planning campaign in 1957, it was not until 1962 that the government of Park Chung Hee, alarmed at the way in which the rapidly increasing population was undermining economic growth, began a nationwide family planning program. Other factors that contributed to a slowdown in population growth included urbanization, later marriage ages for both men and women, higher education levels, a greater number of women in the labor force, and better health standards.
Public and private agencies involved in family planning included the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Planned Parenthood Federation of Korea, and the Korea Institute of Family Planning. In the late 1980s, their activities included the distribution of free birth control devices and information, classes for women on family planning methods, and the granting of special subsidies and privileges (such as low-interest housing loans) to parents who agreed to undergo sterilization. There were 502,000 South Koreans sterilized in 1984, as compared with 426,000 in the previous year.
The 1973 Maternal and Child Health Law legalized abortion. In 1983, the government began suspending medical insurance benefits for maternal care for pregnant women with three or more children. It also denied tax deductions for education expenses to parents with two or more children.
As in China, cultural attitudes posed problems for family planning programs. A strong preference for sons—who in Korea's traditional Confucian value system are expected to care for their parents in old age and carry on the family name—means that parents with only daughters usually continued to have children until a son is born. The government encouraged married couples to have only one child. This has been a prominent theme in public service advertising, which stresses "have a single child and raise it well."
Total fertility rates (the average number of births a woman will have during her lifetime) fell from 6.1 births per female in 1960 to 4.2 in 1970, 2.8 in 1980, and 2.4 in 1984. The number of live births, recorded as 711,810 in 1978, grew to a high of 917,860 in 1982. This development stirred apprehensions among family planning experts of a new "baby boom." By 1986, however, the number of live births had declined to 806,041.
Decline in population growth continued, and between 2005 and 2010 total fertility rate for South Korean women was 1.21, one of the world's lowest according to the United Nations. Fertility rate well below the replacement level of 2.1 births per female has triggered a national alarm, with some predicting an aging society unable to grow or support its elderly. Recent Korean governments have prioritized the issue on their agenda, promising to enact social reforms that will encourage women to have children.
The country's population increased to 46 million by the end of the twentieth century, with growth rates ranging between 0.9% and 1.2%. The population is expected to stabilize (that is, cease to grow) in the year 2023 at around 52.6 million people. In the words of Asiaweek magazine, the "stabilized tally will approximate the number of Filipinos in 1983, but squeezed into less than a third of their [the Philippines'] space."
As of early 2019, the birth rate of South Korea reached an alarmingly low number. In February 2019, the Korean TFR fell to 0.98, well below the replacement level of 2.1 births. South Korea is now the fastest-aging developed country in the world. The Korean government (and its failing actions against the birth rate issue) and the worsening economic environment for young people are blamed as the main causes.
Population settlement patterns
South Korea is one of the world's most densely populated countries, with an estimated 425 people per square kilometer in 1989—over sixteen times the average population density of the United States in the late 1980s. By comparison, China had an estimated 114 people, the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) 246 people, and Japan 323 people per square kilometer in the late 1980s. Because about 70% of South Korea's land area is mountainous and the population is concentrated in the lowland areas, actual population densities were in general greater than the average. As early as 1975, it was estimated that the density of South Korea's thirty-five cities, each of which had a population of 50,000 or more inhabitants, was 3,700 people per square kilometer. Because of continued migration to urban areas, the figure was higher in the late 1980s.
In 1988 Seoul had a population density of 17,030 people per square kilometer as compared with 13,816 people per square kilometer in 1980. The second largest city, Busan, had a density of 8,504 people per square kilometer in 1988 as compared with 7,272 people in 1980. Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the capital and contains Incheon, the country's fourth largest city, was the most densely populated province; Gangwon Province in the northeast was the least densely populated province.
According to the government's Economic Planning Board, the population density will be 530 people per square kilometer by 2023, the year the population is expected to stabilize.
Rural areas in South Korea consist of agglomerated villages in river valleys and range from a few houses to several hundred. These villages are located in the south that are backed by hills and give strong protection from winter winds. Additionally, the country's capital, Seoul, registered a TFR of 0.64, which was likely the lowest level anywhere in the world.
Low birth rates have discouraged South Korean doctors from entering pediatrics out of the fear that the field has no future. Due to how medical insurance is structured in South Korea, pediatric care relies especially on volume to compensate for its low reimbursement rates. The number of pediatric facilities in Seoul fell by 12.5 percent between 2018 and 2022, compared to an increase of 76.8 percent for psychiatry clinics and a 41.2 percent rise for anesthesiology centers. Conditions such as overcrowded waiting rooms and a shortage of hospital beds have led to the death of at least one child. The difficulty in obtaining pediatric care is causing many South Korean couples to reconsider having babies.
Age structure
Population of South Korea by age and sex (demographic pyramid)
<gallery>
File:South Korea 1955 09 01.png|as on 1955-09-01
File:South Korea Age Sex Pyramid 1960.png|as on 1960-11-01
File:South Korea Age Sex Pyramid 1965.png|as on 1965-11-01
File:South Korea 1970 10 01.png|as on 1970-10-01
File:South Korea Age Sex Pyramid 1975.png|as on 1975-11-01
File:South Korea 1980 11 01.png|as on 1980-11-01
File:South Korea 1985 11 01.png|as on 1985-11-01
File:South Korea 1990 11 01.png|as on 1990-11-01
File:South Korea 1995 11 01.png|as on 1995-11-01
File:South Korea Demographic Pyramid 2000.png|as on 2000-11-01
File:South Korea Demographic Pyramid 2005.png|as on 2005-11-01
File:South Korea Demographic Pyramid 2010.png|as on 2010-11-01
File:South Korea Demographic Pyramid 2015.png|as on 2015-11-01
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="80pt"|Age group
! width="80pt"|Male
! width="80pt"|Female
! width="80pt"|Total
! width="80pt"|%
|-
| Total
| align="right" | 25 608 502
| align="right" | 25 460 873
| align="right" | 51 069 375
|
|-
| 0–4
| align="right" | 1 159 011
| align="right" | 1 099 659
| align="right" | 2 258 670
|
|-
| 5–9
| align="right" | 1 169 770
| align="right" | 1 098 081
| align="right" | 2 267 851
|
|-
| 10–14
| align="right" | 1 262 770
| align="right" | 1 165 022
| align="right" | 2 427 792
|
|-
| 15–19
| align="right" | 1 668 683
| align="right" | 1 525 396
| align="right" | 3 194 079
|
|-
| 20–24
| align="right" | 1 887 776
| align="right" | 1 643 332
| align="right" | 3 531 108
|
|-
| 25–29
| align="right" | 1 728 888
| align="right" | 1 536 400
| align="right" | 3 265 288
|
|-
| 30–34
| align="right" | 1 986 796
| align="right" | 1 824 814
| align="right" | 3 811 610
|
|-
| 35–39
| align="right" | 2 022 466
| align="right" | 1 904 396
| align="right" | 3 926 862
|
|-
| 40–44
| align="right" | 2 218 442
| align="right" | 2 120 385
| align="right" | 4 338 827
|
|-
| 45–49
| align="right" | 2 217 013
| align="right" | 2 171 144
| align="right" | 4 388 157
|
|-
| 50–54
| align="right" | 2 153 186
| align="right" | 2 110 261
| align="right" | 4 263 447
|
|-
| 55–59
| align="right" | 1 969 232
| align="right" | 1 987 617
| align="right" | 3 956 849
|
|-
| 60–64
| align="right" | 1 379 694
| align="right" | 1 441 763
| align="right" | 2 821 457
|
|-
| 65–69
| align="right" | 1 028 129
| align="right" | 1 115 894
| align="right" | 2 144 023
|
|-
| 70–74
| align="right" | 793 855
| align="right" | 976 886
| align="right" | 1 770 741
|
|-
| 75–79
| align="right" | 553 178
| align="right" | 809 491
| align="right" | 1 362 669
|
|-
| 80–84
| align="right" | 276 627
| align="right" | 537 595
| align="right" | 814 222
|
|-
| 85–89
| align="right" | 98 855
| align="right" | 274 132
| align="right" | 372 987
|
|-
| 90–94
| align="right" | 28 759
| align="right" | 95 964
| align="right" | 124 723
|
|-
| 95–99
| align="right" | 4 923
| align="right" | 19 873
| align="right" | 24 796
|
|-
| 100+
| align="right" | 449
| align="right" | 2 768
| align="right" | 3 217
|
|-
! Age group
! Male
! Female
! Total
! Percent
|-
| 0–14
| align="right" | 3 591 551
| align="right" | 3 362 762
| align="right" | 6 954 313
|
|-
| 15–64
| align="right" | 19 232 176
| align="right" | 18 265 508
| align="right" | 37 497 684
|
|-
| 65+
| align="right" | 2 784 775
| align="right" | 3 832 603
| align="right" | 6 617 378
|
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="80pt"|Age group
! width="80pt"|Male
! width="80pt"|Female
! width="80pt"|Total
! width="80pt"|%
|-
| Total
| align="right" | 25 915 207
| align="right" | 25 913 929
| align="right" | 51 829 136
|
|-
| 0–4
| align="right" | 883 196
| align="right" | 838 885
| align="right" | 1 722 081
|
|-
| 5–9
| align="right" | 1 161 247
| align="right" | 1 103 348
| align="right" | 2 264 595
|
|-
| 10–14
| align="right" | 1 168 937
| align="right" | 1 098 544
| align="right" | 2 267 481
|
|-
| 15–19
| align="right" | 1 271 404
| align="right" | 1 178 157
| align="right" | 2 449 561
|
|-
| 20–24
| align="right" | 1 762 135
| align="right" | 1 602 669
| align="right" | 3 364 804
|
|-
| 25–29
| align="right" | 1 959 723
| align="right" | 1 706 489
| align="right" | 3 666 212
|
|-
| 30–34
| align="right" | 1 742 483
| align="right" | 1 558 848
| align="right" | 3 301 331
|
|-
| 35–39
| align="right" | 1 970 249
| align="right" | 1 835 221
| align="right" | 3 805 470
|
|-
| 40–44
| align="right" | 1 997 630
| align="right" | 1 909 035
| align="right" | 3 906 665
|
|-
| 45–49
| align="right" | 2 196 042
| align="right" | 2 129 655
| align="right" | 4 325 697
|
|-
| 50–54
| align="right" | 2 195 060
| align="right" | 2 176 994
| align="right" | 4 372 054
|
|-
| 55–59
| align="right" | 2 109 380
| align="right" | 2 101 265
| align="right" | 4 210 645
|
|-
| 60–64
| align="right" | 1 912 792
| align="right" | 1 972 505
| align="right" | 3 885 297
|
|-
| 65–69
| align="right" | 1 314 575
| align="right" | 1 419 612
| align="right" | 2 734 187
|
|-
| 70–74
| align="right" | 946 539
| align="right" | 1 081 140
| align="right" | 2 027 679
|
|-
| 75–79
| align="right" | 684 291
| align="right" | 916 576
| align="right" | 1 600 867
|
|-
| 80–84
| align="right" | 419 037
| align="right" | 701 744
| align="right" | 1 120 781
|
|-
| 85–89
| align="right" | 168 643
| align="right" | 395 287
| align="right" | 563 930
|
|-
| 90–94
| align="right" | 42 951
| align="right" | 149 712
| align="right" | 192 663
|
|-
| 95–99
| align="right" | 8 024
| align="right" | 33 488
| align="right" | 41 512
|
|-
| 100+
| align="right" | 869
| align="right" | 4 755
| align="right" | 5 624
|
|-
! width="50"|Age group
! width="80pt"|Male
! width="80"|Female
! width="80"|Total
! width="50"|Percent
|-
| 0–14
| align="right" | 3 213 380
| align="right" | 3 040 777
| align="right" | 6 254 157
|
|-
| 15–64
| align="right" | 19 116 898
| align="right" | 18 170 838
| align="right" | 37 287 736
|
|-
| 65+
| align="right" | 3 584 929
| align="right" | 4 702 314
| align="right" | 8 287 243
|
|}
South Korea faces the issue of a rapidly aging population. In fact, the speed of aging in Korea is unprecedented in human history, overtaking even Japan. Statistics support this observation; the percentage of elderly aged 65 and above, has sharply risen from 3.3% in 1955 to 10.7% in 2009. The shape of its population has changed from a pyramid in the 1990s, with more young people and fewer old people, to a diamond shape in 2010, with fewer young people and a large proportion of middle-aged individuals.
thumb|473x473px|South Korea population pyramid 1960–2020
There are several implications and issues associated with an aging population. A rapidly aging population is likely to have several negative implications on the labour force. In particular, experts predict that this might lead to a shrinking of the labour force. As an increasing proportion of people enter their 50s and 60s, they either choose to retire or are forced to retire by their companies. As such, there would be a decrease in the percentage of economically active people in the population. Also, with rapid aging, it is highly likely that there would be an imbalance in the young-old percentage of the workforce. This might lead to a lack of vibrancy and innovation in the labour force, since it is helmed mainly by the middle-aged workers. Data shows that while there are fewer young people in society, the percentage of the economically active population, made up of people ages 15–64, has increased by 20% from 55.5% to 72.5%. and the government would need to set aside more money to maintain a good healthcare system to cater to the elderly.
Due to the very low birth rate, South Korea is predicted to enter a Russian Cross pattern once the large generation born in the 1960s starts to die off, with potentially decades of population decline.
Since 2016, the number of elderly people (aged 65 and older) has outnumbered children (0–14 years) and the country has become an "aged society." People older than 65 make up more than 14% of the total population.
Vital statistics
thumb|557x557px|Live births and deaths of South Korea 1925–2019
thumb|560x560px|Crude birth and death rate of South Korea 1925–2019
Source:
Notable events in South Korean demography:
- 1910-1945 – Korea under Japanese rule, Koreans in Japan
- 1945 – End of World War II
- 1950-1953 – Korean War
- 1955-1960 – Mid-20th-century baby boom
{| class="wikitable sortable sort-under sticky-header-multi" style="text-align:right;"
|-
!
! style="width:80pt;"|Average population
! style="width:80pt;"|Live births
! style="width:80pt;"|Deaths
! style="width:80pt;"|Natural change
! style="width:80pt;"|Crude birth rate (per 1000)
! style="width:80pt;"|Crude death rate (per 1000)
! style="width:80pt;"|Natural change (per 1000)
! style="width:80pt;"|Total fertility rate (TFR)
| 51,751,065
| 238,343
| 358,356
| style="color:red;"|−120,013
| 4.7
| 7.0
| style=";color:red;"| –2.3
| 0.748
| 3.1
|-
|2025
| 51,684,564
| 254,457
| 363,389
| style="color:red;"|–108,931
| 4.9
| 7.0
| style=";color:red;"| –2.1
| 0.800
| 0.8
|-
|2026(e)
| 51,609,121
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 0.95*
|
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Data as of January–March 2026.
Current vital statistics
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+
|-
! Period
! Live births
! Deaths
! Natural increase
|-
! January–March 2025
| 65,362
| 100,658
| –35,296
|-
! January–March 2026
| 75,014
| 93,049
| –18,035
|-
! Difference
| +9,652 (+14.77%)
| –7,609 (–7.56%)
| +17,261
|-
! colspan="4" style="text-align: center;" | Source:
|}
Total fertility rates by region
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+2024
!Province and cities
!TFR
|-
|
|0.581
|-
|
|0.683
|-
|
|0.699
|-
|
|0.748
|-
|
|0.754
|-
|
|0.762
|-
|
|0.789
|-
|
|0.792
|-
|
|0.808
|-
|
|0.820
|-
|
|0.826
|-
|
|0.859
|-
|
|0.882
|}
Total fertility rate from 1900 to 1924
The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources: Our World In Data and Gapminder Foundation.
{| class="wikitable " style="text-align:right"
|-
! Years !! 1900!!1901!!1902!!1903!!1904!!1905!!1906!!1907!!1908!!1909!!1910
{| class="wikitable"
! style="width:80pt;"|Period
! style="width:80pt;"|Live births per year
! style="width:80pt;"|Deaths per year
! style="width:80pt;"|Natural change per year
! style="width:50pt;"|CBR<sup>1</sup>
! style="width:50pt;"|CDR<sup>1</sup>
! style="width:50pt;"|NC<sup>1</sup>
! style="width:50pt;"|TFR<sup>1</sup>
! style="width:50pt;"|IMR<sup>1</sup>
|-
| 1950–1955
| style="text-align:right;"| 722,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 331,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 391,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 35.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 16.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 19.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.05
| style="text-align:right;"| 138.0
|-
| 1955–1960
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,049,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 356,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 693,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 45.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 15.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 30.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 6.33
| style="text-align:right;"| 114.4
|-
| 1960–1965
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,067,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 347,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 720,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 39.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 13.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 27.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.63
| style="text-align:right;"| 89.7
|-
| 1965–1970
| style="text-align:right;"| 985,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 298,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 687,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 32.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 23.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.71
| style="text-align:right;"| 64.2
|-
| 1970–1975
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,004,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 259,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 746,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 30.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 7.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 22.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.28
| style="text-align:right;"| 38.1
|-
| 1975–1980
| style="text-align:right;"| 833,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 253,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 581,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 23.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 7.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 16.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.92
| style="text-align:right;"| 33.2
|-
| 1980–1985
| style="text-align:right;"| 795,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 248,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 547,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 20.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 6.4
| style="text-align:right;"| 14.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 2.23
| style="text-align:right;"| 24.6
|-
| 1985–1990
| style="text-align:right;"| 647,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 239,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 407,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 15.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.7
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.8
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.60
| style="text-align:right;"| 14.9
|-
| 1990–1995
| style="text-align:right;"| 702,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 239,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 463,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 16.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 10.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.70
| style="text-align:right;"| 9.7
|-
| 1995–2000
| style="text-align:right;"| 615,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 247,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 368,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 13.6
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.5
| style="text-align:right;"| 8.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.51
| style="text-align:right;"| 6.6
|-
| 2000–2005
| style="text-align:right;"| 476,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 245,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 231,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 10.2
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.3
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.22
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.3
|-
| 2005–2010
| style="text-align:right;"| 477,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 243,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 234,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 10.0
| style="text-align:right;"| 5.1
| style="text-align:right;"| 4.9
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.29
| style="text-align:right;"| 3.8
|-
| 2010–2015
| style="text-align:right;"| 455,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 275,000
| style="text-align:right;"| 180,000
| style="text-align:right;"|
| style="text-align:right;"|
| style="text-align:right;"|
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.26
| style="text-align:right;"|
|-
| colspan="9"| <sup>1</sup> <small>CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births</small>
|}
Life expectancy
thumb|Life expectancy in South Korea since 1960 by gender
thumb|Life expectancy in regions of South Korea in 2023
Remaining life expectancy at certain ages for the country as a whole, Gyeonggi Province and Seoul, in 2023.
{| class="wikitable mw-datatable sticky-header-multi sortable col5center col9center col13center" style="text-align:right;"
|-
! rowspan=2 class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;"|Age
! colspan=4|South Korea on average
! colspan=4 style="border-left-width:2px;"|Gyeonggi Province
! colspan=4 style="border-left-width:2px;"|Seoul
|-
! class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;width:3.5em;"|
! class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;width:3em;"|male
! class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;width:3em;"|female
! class="unsortable"|
! class="unsortable" style="border-left-width:2px;vertical-align:middle;width:3.5em;"|overall
! class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;width:3em;"|male
! class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;width:3em;"|female
! class="unsortable"|sex gap
! class="unsortable" style="border-left-width:2px;vertical-align:middle;width:3.5em;"|overall
! class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;width:3em;"|male
! class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;width:3em;"|female
! class="unsortable"|sex gap
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 83.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 80.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 86.4 || 5.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 83.9 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 81.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 86.6 || 5.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 85.0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 82.0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 88.0 || 6.0
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 1 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 82.7 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 79.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 85.6 || 5.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 83.1 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 80.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 85.7 || 5.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 84.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 81.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 87.1 || 5.9
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 78.7 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 75.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 81.6 || 5.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 79.1 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 76.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 81.8 || 5.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 80.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 77.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 83.2 || 6.0
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 10 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 73.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 70.9 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 76.7 || 5.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 74.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 71.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 76.8 || 5.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 75.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 72.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 78.2 || 6.0
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 15 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 68.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 65.9 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 71.7 || 5.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 69.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 66.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 71.9 || 5.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 70.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 67.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 73.2 || 5.9
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 20 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 63.9 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 61.0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 66.8 || 5.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 64.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 61.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 66.9 || 5.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 65.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 62.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 68.3 || 5.9
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 25 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 59.0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 56.1 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 61.9 || 5.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 59.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 56.7 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 62.0 || 5.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 60.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 57.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 63.3 || 5.8
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 30 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 54.1 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 51.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 57.0 || 5.7 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 54.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 51.9 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 57.1 || 5.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 55.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 52.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 58.4 || 5.8
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 35 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 49.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 46.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 52.1 || 5.7 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 49.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 47.0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 52.2 || 5.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 50.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 47.7 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 53.5 || 5.8
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 40 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 44.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 41.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 47.2 || 5.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 44.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 42.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 47.3 || 5.1 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 45.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 42.9 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 48.7 || 5.8
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 45 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 39.7 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 36.9 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 42.4 || 5.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 40.0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 37.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 42.5 || 5.0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 41.0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 38.1 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 43.8 || 5.7
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 50 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 35.0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 32.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 37.6 || 5.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 35.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 32.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 37.7 || 4.9 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 36.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 33.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 39.0 || 5.6
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 55 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 30.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 27.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 32.9 || 5.1 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 30.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 28.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 32.9 || 4.7 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 31.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 28.9 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 34.2 || 5.3
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 60 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 25.9 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 23.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 28.2 || 4.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 26.1 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 23.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 28.2 || 4.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 27.1 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 24.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 29.5 || 5.0
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 65 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 21.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 19.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 23.6 || 4.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 21.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 19.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 23.6 || 4.0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 22.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 20.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 24.9 || 4.6
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 70 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 17.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 15.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 19.0 || 3.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 17.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 15.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 19.0 || 3.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 18.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 16.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 20.3 || 4.1
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 75 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 13.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 11.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 14.7 || 3.1 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 13.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 11.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 14.7 || 2.9 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 14.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 12.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 15.9 || 3.5
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 80 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 9.7 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 8.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 10.7 || 2.4 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 9.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 8.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 10.8 || 2.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 10.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 9.0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 11.8 || 2.8
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 85 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 6.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 5.7 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 7.5 || 1.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 6.9 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 5.9 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 7.5 || 1.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 7.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 6.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 8.4 || 2.1
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 90 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 4.7 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 3.9 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 5.0 || 1.1 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 4.7 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 4.1 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 5.1 || 1.0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 5.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 4.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 5.8 || 1.5
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 95 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 3.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 2.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 3.4 || 0.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 3.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 2.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 3.4 || 0.6 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 3.7 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 3.0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 4.0 || 1.0
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 100 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#e0ffd8;"| 2.2 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 1.8 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 2.3 || 0.5 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 2.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 2.0 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 2.3 || 0.3 ||style="padding-right:2ex;border-left-width:2px;background:#e0ffd8;"| 2.7 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#eaf3ff;"| 2.1 ||style="padding-right:2ex;background:#fee7f6;"| 2.8 || 0.7
|}
Data source: Statistics Korea
Life expectancy at birth from 1908 to 2015
Sources: Our World In Data and the United Nations.
1865–1950
{| class="wikitable"
!Years
!1908
!1913
!1918
!1923
!1928
!1933
!1938
!1942
!1950
|-
|Life expectancy in South Korea
|23.5
|25.0
|27.0
|29.5
|33.6
|37.4
|42.6
|44.9
|46.7
|}
1950–2015
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Period
!Life expectancy in<br />years
!Period
!Life expectancy in<br />years
|-
|1950–1955
|47.9
|1985–1990
|70.3
|-
|1955–1960
|51.2
|1990–1995
|72.9
|-
|1960–1965
|54.8
|1995–2000
|75.0
|-
|1965–1970
|58.8
|2000–2005
|77.2
|-
|1970–1975
|63.1
|2005–2010
|79.4
|-
|1975–1980
|65.0
|2010–2015
|81.3
|-
|1980–1985
|67.4
|2015–2020
|83.5
|}
Source: UN World Population Prospects
Ethnic groups
South Korea is a largely ethnically homogeneous country with an absolute majority of the Korean ethnicity from estimates but the country itself doesn't collect ethnic or racial data formally. However, with its emergence as an economic powerhouse, demand for foreign immigrants increased and in 2007 the number of foreign citizen residents in South Korea passed the one million mark for the first time in history, and the number reached 2 million in 2016. Of those, 1,016,000 came from China, with more than half of them being ethnic Koreans of Chinese citizenship. The next largest group was from Vietnam with 149,000 residents. The third largest group was from the United States with 117,000 residents, excluding the American troops stationed in the country. Thailand, Philippines, Kazakhstan and other countries followed. Many of the foreign residents from China and the former Soviet Union, including Russia and Kazakhstan, are ethnic Koreans (see Koreans in China, Koryo-saram). The number of foreign residents in the country last month set a record-high 2.73 million, comprising 5.3% of the national population of 51,164,582.
Chinese in South Korea
Since The People's Republic of China and South Korea established their diplomatic relationship in 1992, the number of Chinese immigrants, majorly Joseonjok, has continued to increase. There are also Chaoxianzu in Korea: Chinese nationals of Korean ethnicity living in South Korea.
North Americans in South Korea
South Korea is a country with one of the largest American immigrant populations in the world, numbering over 100,000. Most Americans tend to be Korean Americans who have returned to South Korea. About 43,000 Korean Americans reported living in South Korea in 2020, more than twice the number in 2005. Nowadays, most Vietnamese immigrants are either manual labor workers, marriage immigrants, or cooks in Vietnamese cuisines.
Filipinos in South Korea
Relationship between Filipinos and South Koreans can be traced back to 1950s during the Korean War.
In different areas of South Korea, different dialects are spoken. For example, the Gyeongsang dialect spoken around Busan and Daegu to the south is often perceived to sound quite rough and aggressive compared to standard Korean.
Korea is a country where three of the world's major religions, Christianity, Buddhism, and Confucianism, peacefully coexist. According to 2015 statistics, 43.1% of Korean population has a religion and 2008 statistics show that over 510 religious organizations were in the South Korea population.
- Christianity: 31%
- Buddhism: 15%
- Islam: 0.3%
- Other religions: 2%
Migration
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right;"
|+South Korea net migration, 2000–present
! Year !! Immigration !! Emigration !! Net Migration
|-
| 2000 || 371,264 || 363,141 || 8,123
|-
| 2001 || 373,683 || 405,892 || −32,209
|-
| 2002 || 387,064 || 403,319 || −16,255
|-
| 2003 || 404,475 || 446,888 || −42,413
|-
| 2004 || 422,524 || 471,524 || −49,000
|-
| 2005 || 530,243 || 624,748 || −94,505
|-
| 2006 || 613,678 || 566,045 || 47,633
|-
| 2007 || 630,330 || 552,265 || 77,678
|-
| 2008 || 658,651 || 603,349 || 55,302
|-
| 2009 || 591,626 || 571,248 || 20,378
|-
| 2010 || 632,102 || 549,833 || 82,269
|-
| 2011 || 658,475 || 567,570 || 90,905
|-
| 2012 || 643,009 || 636,403 || 6,606
|-
| 2013 || 696,166 || 610,954 || 85,212
|-
| 2014 || 735,181 || 593,530 || 141,651
|-
| 2015 || 683,716 || 622,290 || 61,426
|-
| 2016 || 714,023 || 638,664 || 75,359
|-
| 2017 || 758,106 || 651,312 || 106,794
|-
| 2018 || 817,794 || 661,967 || 156,007
|-
| 2019 || 749,188 || 717,413 || 31,775
|-
| 2020 || 673,315 || 560,402 || 112,813
|-
| 2021 || 410,398 || 476,376 || −65,978
|-
| 2022 || 606,043 || 518,014 || 88,029
|-
| 2023 || 698,408 || 577,099 || 121,309
|-
| 2024 || 727,357 || 601,954 || 125,403
|}
Emigration
Large-scale emigration from Korea began around 1904 and continued until the end of World War II. During the Japanese rule, many Koreans emigrated to Manchuria (present-day China's northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang), other parts of China, the Soviet Union, Hawaii, and the contiguous United States.
Most emigrated for economic reasons; employment opportunities were scarce, and many Korean farmers lost their land after the Japanese introduced a system of land registration and private land tenure, imposed higher land taxes, and promoted the growth of an absentee landlord class charging exorbitant rents. Koreans from the northern provinces of Korea migrated mainly to Manchuria, China, and Siberia. Most people from the southern provinces went to Japan or the United States. Koreans were conscripted into Japanese labor battalions or the Japanese army, especially during World War II. In the 1940–44 period, nearly 2 million Koreans lived in Japan, 1.4 million in Manchuria, 600,000 in Siberia, and 130,000 in China. An estimated 40,000 Koreans were scattered among other countries, mainly the United States. At the end of World War II, approximately 2 million Koreans were repatriated from Japan and Manchuria.
More than 4 million ethnic Koreans lived outside the peninsula during the early 1980s. The largest group, about 1.7 million people, lived in China, the descendants of the Korean farmers who had left the country during the Japanese occupation. Most had assumed Chinese citizenship. The Soviet Union had about 430,000 ethnic Koreans, known as the Koryo-saram, scattered in several Soviet republics.
By contrast, many of Japan's approximately 700,000 Koreans had below-average standards of living. This situation occurred partly because of discrimination by the Japanese majority and partly because a large number of resident Koreans, loyal to the North Korean regime of Kim Il Sung, preferred to remain separate from and hostile to the Japanese mainstream. The pro–North Korea Chongryon (General Association of Korean Residents in Japan) initially was more successful than the pro–South Korea Mindan (Association for Korean Residents in Japan) in attracting adherents among residents in Japan. Since diplomatic relations were established between Seoul and Tokyo in 1965, however, the South Korean government has taken an active role in promoting the interests of their residents in Japan in negotiations with the Japanese government. It also has provided subsidies to Korean schools in Japan and other community activities.
By the end of 1988, the South Korean diaspora was estimated at around two million people. North America was home to over 1.2 million. Smaller Korean communities formed in Australia (100,000), Central and South America (45,000), the Middle East (12,000), Western Europe (40,000), New Zealand (30,000), other Asian countries (27,000), and Africa (25,000). A limited number of South Korean government-sponsored migrants settled in Chile, Argentina, and other Latin American countries.
Because of South Korea's rapid economic expansion, an increasing number of its citizens reside abroad on a temporary basis as business executives, technical personnel, foreign students, and construction workers. A large number of formerly expatriate South Koreans have returned to South Korea primarily because of the country's much improved economic conditions and the difficulties they experienced in adjusting to living abroad.
Immigration
There are 2,650,783 foreign residents in South Korea as of December 2024, 5.18% of the total population. Roughly half of this population was Chinese (958,959), followed by Vietnamese (305,936), Thai (188,770) and American (170,251).
Fair amount of the foreign residents from some countries are Korean descendants. Two thirds of Chinese, half of Russian, one fourth of Uzbeks are repatriated ethnic Koreans (labelled "Overseas Koreans") who may meet criteria for expedited acquisition of South Korean citizenship. They are Korean Chinese and Koryo-saram.
Also, sizeable number of migrants from countries with primarily multicultural immigrant population, such as Australia, Canada, United States, and Japan are also of Korean ethnic descent.
Number of Foreign Residents in South Korea of Different Ethnicity
{| class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers"
! Country !! 2024 (Sept) !! 2021 (Aug) !! 2019
|-
| || 987,280 || 851,615 || 1,121,800
|-
| || 318,160 || 209,839 || 224,518
|-
| || 189,361 || 174,052 || 209,909
|-
| || 182,192 || 145,724 || 156,982
|-
| || 93,979 || 30,389 || 34,638
|-
| || 73,148 || 37,092 || 42,781
|-
| || 71,689 || 48,511 || 61,427
|-
| || 66,932 || 43,592 || 62,398
|-
| || 65,002 || ||
|-
| || 64,939 || 34,514 || 48,854
|-
| || 56,383 || 37,963 || 48,185
|-
| || 52,070 || || 29,294
|-
| || 49,901 || 28,631 || 86,196
|-
| || 45,742 || || 18,340
|-
| || 35,216 || || 25,064
|-
| || 34,799 || || 42,767
|-
| || 31,238 || 45,181 || 56,320
|-
| || 30,232 || || 15,222
|-
| || 18,246 || || 13,990
|-
| || 17,856 || || 12,929
|-
| || 17,356 || 41,239 || 47,565
|-
| || 13,443 || || 14,790
|-
| || 11,755 || ||
|-
| || 11,346 || ||
|-
| || 10,763 || ||
|-
| || 10,520 || ||
|-
| || 10,256 || ||
|-
| || 9,929 || ||
|-
| || 7,476 || ||
|-
| || 5,513 || ||
|-
| || 5,206 || ||
|-
| || 5,114 || ||
|-
| || 4,921 || ||
|-
| || 3,388 || ||
|-
| || 3,006 || ||
|-
| || 2,980 || ||
|-
| || 2,937 || ||
|-
| || 2,896 || ||
|-
| || 2,842 || ||
|-
| || 2,693 || ||
|-
| || 2,676 || ||
|-
| || 2,187 || ||
|-
| || 2,017|| ||
|-
| || 1,912 || ||
|-
| || 1,620 || ||
|-
| || 1,572 || ||
|-
| || 1,535 || ||
|-
| || 1,420 || ||
|-
| || 1,252 || ||
|-
| || 1,068 || ||
|-
| || 1,036 || ||
|-
| || 968 || ||
|-
| || 991 || ||
|-
| || 956 || ||
|-
| || 841 || ||
|-
| || 839 || ||
|-
| || 810 || ||
|-
| || 811 || ||
|-
| || 811 || ||
|-
| || 802 || ||
|-
| || 736 || ||
|-
| || 673 || ||
|-
| || 661 || ||
|-
| || 647 || ||
|-
| || 645 || ||
|-
| || 624 || ||
|-
| || 621 || ||
|-
| || 608 || ||
|-
| || 591 || ||
|-
| || 518 || ||
|-
| || 506 || ||
|-
| || 503 || ||
|-
| || 467 || ||
|-
| || 451 || ||
|-
| || 355 || ||
|-
| || 316 || ||
|-
| || 250 || ||
|-
| || 246 || ||
|-
| || 243 || ||
|-
| || 241 || ||
|-
| || 223 || ||
|-
| || 206 || ||
|-
| || 192 || ||
|-
| || 177 || ||
|-
| || 174 || ||
|-
| || 173 || ||
|-
| || 165 || ||
|-
| || 162 || ||
|-
| || 158 || ||
|-
| || 127 || ||
|-
| || 123 || ||
|-
| || 121 || ||
|-
| || 115 || ||
|-
| || 113 || ||
|-
| || 101 || ||
|-
| || 92 || ||
|-
| || 83 || ||
|-
| || 78 || ||
|-
| || 61 || ||
|-
| || 61 || ||
|-
| || 52 || ||
|-
| || 50 || ||
|-
| || 48 || ||
|-
| || 47 || ||
|-
| || 46 || ||
|-
| || 45 || ||
|-
| || 43 || ||
|-
| || 40 || ||
|-
| || 37 || ||
|-
| || 30 || ||
|-
| || 19 || ||
|-
| || 18 || ||
|-
| || 12 || ||
|-
| || 11 || ||
|-
| || 10 || ||
|-
| || 10 || ||
|-
| || 9 || ||
|-
| || 8 || ||
|-
| || 6 || ||
|-
| || 3 || ||
|-
| || 3 || ||
|-
| || 2 || ||
|-
|- class="sortbottom"
| Others || || || 104,898
|-
! Total || 2,245,912 || 1,976,000 || 2,524,656
|-
|}
See also
- Demographics of North Korea
- Koreans
- Chinese people in Korea
- Vietnamese people in South Korea
- Filipinos in South Korea
Notes
References
Works cited
External links
- Korean Statistical Information System
- South Korea: Balancing Labor Demand with Strict Controls, Park Young-bum, Migration Information Source, December 2004.
- HelpAge International
- HelpAge Korea (in Korean)
- Basic Korean Language Act
pt:Coreia do Sul#Demografia