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Status

Migrant youth status (general)
Children of foreign residents 308,402명 Population (persons), Ministry of Public Administration and Security (2022.11.01.) (0-18 years old)
Mid-immigrant adolescents 4,568 Population (persons), Ministry of Justice (2024.11.) (under 18 years old)
North Korean defector youth 1,426 Population (persons), Ministry of Unification (2024.11.) (9-24 years old)
Current status of children of foreign residents
Current Status of children of foreign residents by Age Unit: people
Division Total Under 6 years old 7-12 years old 13-15 years old 16-18 years old
2023.11.1. 308,402 104,763 110,577 55,483 37,579
2022.11.1. 299,440 109,081 109,519 51,546 29,894
2021.11.1. 223,508 108,953 66,021 43,433 22,588
2020.11.1. 275,990 115,579 107,286 34,445 18,680
2019.11.1. 264,626 117,045 104,064 26,524 16,993
Source: Ministry of the Interior and Safety 2018~2022 Local Government Foreign Residents status
  • Note 1)The value that adds Domestic born children to naturalized children and children with foreign nationality
Status by the type of children from foreign population Unit: people
Division Total Domestic born children Naturalized and children with foreign nationality
Subtotal Male Female Subtotal Male Female Subtotal Male Female
2021 308,402 157,348 151,054 289,886 148,449 141,437 18,516 8,899 9,617
2022 299,440 152,620 146,820 282,077 144,310 137,767 17,363 8,310 9,053
Increase and decrease 8,962 4,728 4,234 7,809 4,139 3,670 1,153 589 564
3.0% 3.1% 2.9% 2.8% 2.9% 2.7% 6.7% 7.1% 6.2%
Source: Ministry of the Interior and Safety 2023 Local Government Foreign Residents status(2023.11.1)

By type, there were 15,807 children (5.5%) of naturalized or foreign nationals who were naturalized or who still hold foreign nationality,
and domestic born children who acquired Korean citizenship at the time of birth are 273,722 (94.5%).

Current status of Mid-immigrant adolescents
Number of children in multicultural families
by age and growth background Unit: %, persons/estimate
Growing in Korea only Living and growing up abroad Whole
Subtotal Foreign residence experience Mainly grown abroad
Total 100.0(116,714) 100.0(11,135) 100.0(7,978) 100.0(3,157) 100.0(127,849)
Age 9-11 years old 42.6 21.4 21.1 22.0 40.8
12-14 years old 30.7 31.4 32.2 29.6 30.8
15-17 years old 12.5 31.0 35.4 20.0 14.1
18-24 years old 14.1 16.2 11.3 28.5 14.3
Source: 2018 National Survey on Multicultural Families (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 2019.03.) *2024 전국다문화가족실태조사 실시
  • Note) Household member weight applied
Mid-immigrant children by country Unit: people
Division 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Total 4,112 3,587 3,240 3,846 4,239 4,568
Country China 1,691 1,427 1,228 1,048 1,027 970
Vietnam 1,249 1,038 853 1,348 1,587 1,780
Philippines 302 323 274 342 384 440
태국 - - - 314 415 483
etc. 870 799 885 794 826 895
Source: Ministry of Justice (2024.11.)
  • Ministry of Justice regards minor who was born from the prior marriage relation of marriage immigrant, and entered Korea and registered as alien and the children of naturalized person (including domestic born children) as mid-immigrant adolescents(Ministry of Justice classifies them as ‘mid-immigrant children’). According to this, it is found that 3,240 mid-immigrant children as of December 2021 stay in Korea.
  • Note 1) The age of minors after August 2015 is 18 years old or younger
  • Note 2) It is the sum of the current status of visiting cohabitation (F-1-52), residence (F-2-2), permanent residence (F-5-3). Residence (F-2-2), permanent residence (F-5-3) status includes not only the children of prior marriage relationship of marriage immigrants
    but also the children of naturalized persons (including domestic born children).
Status of foreign residents by age Unit: people
Division 0-14 years old 15-19 years old 20-24 years old 총계
2023 Total 141,102 69,200 251,827 462,129
Male 71,529 33,640 130,361 235,530
Female 69,573 35,560 121,466 226,599
The third gender 0 0 0 0
2022 Total 126,345 52,486 215,330 394,161
Male 63,930 25,186 108,642 197,758
Female 62,415 27,299 106,687 196,401
The third gender 0 1 1 2
2021 Total 103,348 31,317 174,137 308,802
Male 52,586 14,790 89,452 156,828
Female 50,762 16,527 84,685 151,974
2020 Total 107,102 32,910 193,413 333,425
Male 54,474 15,536 104,354 174,364
Female 52,628 17,374 89,059 159,061
2019 Total 127,556 65,661 282,960 476,177
Male 64,636 28,815 141,767 235,218
Female 62,920 36,846 141,192 240,958
The third gender 0 0 1 1
Source: 2023 Immigration and Foreigner Policy Statistical Yearbook (Ministry of Justice, 2024.6.)
School enrollment status of children from multicultural families
Number of students from multicultural families by year Unit: people
Year 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Number of students 137,225 147,378 160,056 168,645 181,178 193,814
Ratio to total students 2.5% 2.8% 3.0% 3.2% 3.2% 3.8%
Source: Basic Education Statistics by Ministry of Education (April. 2024)
School enrollment status of children from multicultural families Unit: people
Division Total Elementary school Middle school High school Various schools
2024 Domestic born 134,817 80,155 34,682 19,811 169
Mid-immigrant 11,987 6,037 3,201 2,412 337
Foreign families 47,010 31,267 10,027 5,450 266
Subtotal 193,814 117,459 47,910 27,673 772
2023 Domestic born 129,910 82,491 32,210 15,063 146
Mid-immigrant 10,896 5,617 3,108 1,928 243
Foreign families 40,372 27,531 8,380 4,199 262
Subtotal 181,178 115,639 43,698 21,190 651
2022 Domestic born 126,029 84,241 29,940 11,614 234
Mid-immigrant 9,938 5,087 2,874 1,784 193
Foreign families 32,678 22,312 6,900 3,346 120
Subtotal 168,645 111,640 39,714 16,744 547
2021 Domestic born 122,093 86,399 25,368 10,182 144
Mid-immigrant 9,427 4,953 2,773 1,519 182
Foreign families 28,536 20,019 5,809 2,606 102
Subtotal 160,056 111,371 33,950 14,307 428
2020 Domestic born 113,774 85,089 19,532 9,049 104
Mid-immigrant 9,151 5,073 2,456 1,415 204
Foreign families 24,453 17,532 4,782 2,014 125
Subtotal 147,378 107,694 26,773 12,478 433
2019 Domestic born 108,069 83,602 15,891 8,464 112
Mid-immigrant 8,697 5,148 2,131 1,220 198
Foreign families 20,459 15,131 3,671 1,550 107
Subtotal 137,225 103,881 21,698 11,234 417
Source: Basic Education Statistics by Ministry of Education (April. 2024)
  • Note 1) Number of multicultural students = Children of international marriage families (Domestic born children + Mid-immigrant children) + Children of foreign families
  • Note 2) Domestic born : Children born in Korea among children born to a foreign spouse married to a Korean
  • Note 3) Mid-immigrant : Children of international marriage families who were born abroad and entered Korea with their parents midway.
  • Note 4) Foreign families : Children born to foreigners
Current status of North Korean defectors youth
The status of North Korean defectors youth entering the country by year. Unit: people
Target/Year 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Total(numbers of people entering the country) 1,047 229 63 67 196 181
Adolescents (9-24 years old) 228 46 ** ** ** **
Source: Ministry of Unification (’24.9.), based on the age at the time of entry (9-24 years old) * 2021년 이후 세부 연령별 입국 현황 미공개

*Some people who have recently entered the country and stay in the protection facilities are excluded.

The entry status of North Korean defectors youth by age. Unit: people
Division 0-9 years old 10-19 years old 20-29 years old Total
Male 652 1,708 2,641 5,001
Female 646 2,113 7,021 9,780
Total 1,298 3,821 9,662 14,781
Source: Ministry of Unification (December 2023), based on the age at the time of entry (0-29 years old)

*Some people who have recently entered the country and stay in the protection facilities are excluded.

North Korean defector youth without family or friend
Article 38, clause 2 of [Act on the protection and the settlement support of North Korean Defector] defines the person under 24 who doesn’t accompany the lineal ascendant among North Korean defector youth as ‘North Korean defector youth without family or friend’. North Korean defector youth without family or friend experiences family breakup in North due to the parent’s death, divorce or the poverty, and crosses the border alone, and not only should make a living without parents but also may be in the situation to earn money for families left in North. The numbers of entry of North Korean defector youth without family or friends who suffer from overlapping difficulties are increasing continuously.
School enrollment Status of North Korean defector youth by School Type Unit: person, %
Division School Total
Elementary school Middle school High school Other school *
Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Attending status
(’23.4.) 		492 473 350 349 384 364 111 122 2,645
965 699 748 233
Source: Ministry of Education (as of April 4, 2023)
  • * 특수학교, 각종학교, 공민학교, 고등공민학교, 고등기술학교, 각종학교, 방송통신중·고등학교, 학력인정 평생교육시설 등
Enrollment status by school type and year Unit: person, %
Year Elementary school Middle school High school Other school Total
Number of students Ratio Number of students Ratio Number of students Ratio Number of students Ratio
24.04 965 (36.5) 699 (26.4) 748 (28.3) 233 (8.8) 2,645
23.04 421 (23.8) 513 (29.0) 684 (38.7) 151 (8.5) 1,769
22.04 522 (25.3) 659 (32.0) 725 (35.2) 155 (7.5) 2,061
21.04 654 (28.6) 740 (32.4) 739 (32.3) 154 (6.7) 2,287
20.04 741 (30.4) 782 (32.1) 738 (30.3) 176 (7.2) 2,437
19.04 877 (34.6) 738 (29.2) 752 (29.7) 164 (6.5) 2,531
Source: Ministry of Education (’23.4.)
  • * 2018년부터는 유초중등교육통계 산출 방법에 따라 ‘초중고교’와 ‘기타학교’를 분리함.
  • * 2024년부터 국내출생 학생을 포함하여 집계함.
School Enrollment status of North Korean defector youth by year and place of birth Unit: person, %
Year Division Number of enrolled students
Elementary school Middle school High school Other school Total
2024 Born in North Korea 52(5.4%) 94(13.4%) 208(27.8) 178(11.2) 380(14.4)
Born in a third country such as China 289(29.9%) 299(42.8%) 388(51.9%) 178(76.4%) 1,154(43.6%)
국내 출생 624(64.7%) 306(43.8%) 152(20.3%) 29(12.4%) 1,111(42.0%)
Total 965 699 748 233 2,645
2023 Born in North Korea 72(17.1%) 149(29%) 258(37.7%) 33(21.9%) 512(28.9%)
Born in a third country such as China 349(82.9%) 364(71%) 426(62.3%) 118(78.1%) 1,257(71.1%)
Total 421 513 684 151 1,769
2022 Born in North Korea 92(17.6%) 194(29.4%) 305(42.1%) 44(28.4%) 635(30.8%)
Born in a third country such as China 430(82.4%) 465(70.6%) 420(57.9%) 111(71.6%) 1,426(69.2%)
Total 522 659 725 155 2,061
2021 Born in North Korea 127(19.4%) 238(32.2%) 355(48%) 69(44.8%) 789(34.5%)
Born in a third country such as China 527(80.6%) 502(67.8%) 384(52%) 85(55.2%) 1,498(65.5%)
Total 654 740 739 154 2,287
2020 Born in North Korea 193 268 364 82 907
Born in a third country such as China 548(74%) 514(65.7%) 374(50.6%) 94(53.4%) 1,530(62.8%)
Total 1.143 733 601 - 2,517
2019 Born in North Korea 237 288 378 79 982
Born in a third country such as China 640(73%) 450(61%) 374(49.9%) 85(51.8%) 1,549(61.2%)
Total 877 738 752 164 2,531
Source: Ministry of Education (as of April 4, 2023)

School Enrollment status of North Korean defector youth by year and place of birth Ministry of Education includes not only the children of North Korean Defector born in North Korea but also the children born in the third country to one of parents born in North Korea
in the category of North Korean Defector Youth, and provides the educational support based on this.