Photo: Ulsan Education Board Superintendant Roh Ok-hee attends school with children from Afghanistan, c. 2022. Credit: Facebook page of Roh Ok-hee.
Slowly but surely, South Korea is increasing immigration to counteract its low birth rate. According to the Bureau of Statistics’ 통계청 comprehensive population survey for 2024, South Korea’s population as of November 2024 was 51.8m, comprising 49.8m citizens and 2m foreigners. Although the native-born population declined by 80k, the number of inbound foreigners and immigrants increased by 110k, increasing the total population.
South Korea’s native-born population has declined for four years in a row, but the decline in population has been offset by an increase in the number of incoming foreigners. The number of mixed-heritage families increased to 439k, an increase of 24.2% in the past five years.
