Seoul: The number of employed foreign residents in South Korea has surpassed 1.1 million as of May last year, according to a report released on Monday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the report from the Korea Employment Information Service highlighted a significant increase in foreign workers with student visas, including D-2, D-4-1, and D-4-7. The figure rose to 56,000, marking a 71.8 percent surge compared to May 2024. Overall, there were 1,109,000 employed foreigners residing in South Korea as of May 2025, reflecting an increase of 99,000 from the same month in the previous year.

The report detailed gender demographics, showing that men accounted for 68 percent of the foreign workforce, totaling 750,000, while women made up 32 percent with 360,000. When broken down by age, individuals in their 30s represented the largest share at 33.2 percent. They were followed by those aged 15-29 at 25.7 percent, individuals in their 40s at 18.7 percent, those in their 50s at 13.5 percent, and those in their 60s at 8.9 percent.

Foreign workers holding nonprofessional employment (E-9) visas were the most numerous, totaling 321,000. The report noted a significant decline in E-9 visa holders from 2020 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but numbers have been rising steeply since 2023.

By industry, the largest proportion of foreign workers was in mining and manufacturing, accounting for 44.9 percent. This was followed by sectors such as wholesale and retail trade, and accommodation and food services, which collectively comprised 20.4 percent of the foreign workforce.