Seoul (VNA) – Vietnam was the largest source of foreigners entering the Republic of Korea (RoK) for long-term stays in 2025, surpassing China for the first time since related data was compiled starting in 2000, according the RoK Ministry of Data and Statistics on July 9.
A total of 428,000 foreign nationals entered the RoK for stays of more than 90 days last year, down from 451,000 in 2024. The figures exclude unauthorized entrants.
Vietnamese nationals accounted for 98,000 long-term arrivals, surpassing Chinese nationals at 94,000. Americans ranked third with 23,000 arrivals. Together, the three nationalities represented just over half of all long-term foreign entrants.
The number of arrivals from Vietnam has increased as more people come for education, training and seasonal employment, Yoo Su-deok, head of the ministry’s population projection team said, adding that the shrinking population of ethnic Koreans in China also contributed to the trend.
Foreign arrivals for employment totaled 160,000, down 2.4% from a year earlier. The number of non-professional workers declined 24.4% to 73,000, while professional workers fell 14.1% to 13,000.
Employment remained the leading reason for long-term entry, accounting for 37.4% of arrivals, followed by education and training at 25.2%. Permanent residency and marriage each represented a smaller share of long-term migration.
Separately, the RoK recorded a net inflow of its own citizens on long-term stays in 2025. The number of Koreans returning to the country for stays exceeding 90 days fell 7% to 257,000, while departures declined 6.5% to 233,000, leaving more citizens returning than leaving./.
