South Korea

Most immigrants in South Korea come from neighboring Asian nations seeking economic opportunity and cultural connection. China is the largest source by far, with over seven hundred thousand people arriving due to geographic proximity and the return of ethnic Koreans. Hundreds of thousands more arrive from Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Thailand, driven by industrial labor shortages and growing marriage migration.

This landscape shifted dramatically as South Korea transformed into a global economic powerhouse. In the early 1990s, the immigrant population was extremely small and heavily influenced by historical military ties with the United States. Rapid industrialization and the introduction of new foreign labor policies in the 2000s then sparked a massive influx of workers from post-Soviet states and Southeast Asia.

South Korean emigrants predominantly settle in the United States and Japan, driven by deep historical ties and established diaspora communities. Over a million South Koreans live in the United States alone to pursue higher education and advanced career opportunities. Hundreds of thousands more have moved to English-speaking nations like Canada and Australia in search of a different lifestyle and broader economic prospects.

This outward migration has shifted noticeably over the last few decades. While Japan once hosted a massive share of this population due to its colonial history, these numbers steadily declined as older generations passed away. At the same time, South Korea's rise as a global economic powerhouse pushed a growing wave of corporate workers and entrepreneurs into emerging Asian markets like Vietnam.