Foreigners in Seoul, and Koreans in their countries
272,756 foreigners are registered in Seoul — 2.9% of residents, as of 2026-09-30. Why they came, where they come from, and how many Korean citizens live in each of those countries.
Why they are in Seoul
| Living in Seoul | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Study (degree and language courses) | 97,970 | 35.9% |
| Family, residence and permanent residence | 116,255 | 42.6% |
| Professional and skilled work (teaching, research, specialists) | 15,650 | 5.7% |
| Other work (non-professional jobs and H-2 work visas for ethnic Koreans) | 9,938 | 3.6% |
| Looking for work | 11,289 | 4.1% |
| Company transfer, investment and trade | 3,990 | 1.5% |
| Working holiday | 3,188 | 1.2% |
| Other | 14,476 | 5.3% |
By visa type. Ethnic Koreans with foreign citizenship on an F-4 visa report their residence separately and are not counted here.
By country
| Country | Living in Seoul | Korean citizens living there |
|---|---|---|
| China | 122,239 (incl. 53,957 ethnic Korean Chinese) | 145,762 (118,709 working or staying · 16,319 students) |
| Vietnam | 34,458 | 192,683 (183,615 working or staying · 9,068 students) |
| Mongolia | 12,795 | 1,765 (1,605 working or staying · 145 students) |
| Japan | 11,313 | 410,007 (69,325 working or staying · 14,497 students) |
| United States | 11,142 | 1,010,237 (520,718 working or staying · 46,173 students) |
| Taiwan | 7,820 | 4,776 (2,409 working or staying · 570 students) |
| Nepal | 7,657 | 590 (496 working or staying · 94 students) |
| Myanmar (Burma) | 6,483 | 1,919 (1,885 working or staying · 13 students) |
| Uzbekistan | 4,877 | 2,783 (2,588 working or staying · 0 students) |
| Russia | 3,718 | 3,498 (2,443 working or staying · 671 students) |
| Philippines | 3,624 | 52,335 (45,352 working or staying · 4,547 students) |
| France | 3,309 | 15,292 (7,946 working or staying · 4,275 students) |
| India | 3,059 | 12,287 (12,198 working or staying · 54 students) |
| Thailand | 3,043 | 20,807 (17,976 working or staying · 2,656 students) |
| Bangladesh | 2,213 | 1,413 (1,413 working or staying · 0 students) |
| Indonesia | 2,210 | 26,375 (22,240 working or staying · 292 students) |
| United Kingdom | 2,136 | 35,623 (14,012 working or staying · 8,866 students) |
| Canada | 1,823 | 111,438 (18,685 working or staying · 17,204 students) |
| Germany | 1,783 | 41,035 (21,730 working or staying · 6,325 students) |
| Malaysia | 1,641 | 17,963 (13,205 working or staying · 4,635 students) |
| Kazakhstan | 1,535 | 1,293 (585 working or staying · 18 students) |
| Pakistan | 1,516 | 535 (420 working or staying · 21 students) |
| Cambodia | 1,077 | 10,576 (10,363 working or staying · 213 students) |
| Australia | 943 | 85,791 (24,614 working or staying · 7,441 students) |
| Singapore | 561 | 23,862 (19,578 working or staying · 1,296 students) |
| Brazil | 513 | 21,136 (388 working or staying · 34 students) |
| Mexico | 464 | 12,690 (4,047 working or staying · 49 students) |
| Netherlands | 448 | 5,457 (3,405 working or staying · 1,050 students) |
| New Zealand | 242 | 27,557 (4,941 working or staying · 4,024 students) |
| Argentina | 106 | 15,080 (420 working or staying · 3 students) |
| United Arab Emirates | — | 8,492 (8,414 working or staying · 78 students) |
| Hungary | — | 7,284 (6,069 working or staying · 953 students) |
| Guatemala | — | 5,680 (930 working or staying · 5 students) |
Living in Seoul: foreigners registered to stay longer than 90 days, as of 2026-09-30; “—” means Seoul's table groups that country under “other”. Korean citizens living there: permanent residents, people working or staying, and students, as of 2024-12-31, estimated by Korea's embassies and consulates; ethnic Koreans who hold that country's citizenship are not included, and China includes Hong Kong. Shown: countries with at least 1,500 in Seoul or 5,000 Korean citizens there.
Sources: Seoul Metropolitan Government registered population statistics; Overseas Koreans Agency, Overseas Koreans 2025.
Monthly rent: Seoul and other cities
Official figures only, in US dollars: Seoul at the exchange rate on each lease date, other cities at the Bank of Korea rate on 2026-10-30. Each city measures rent differently, so read the note under each one before comparing.
Seoul
| Apartment under 40 m² | $459/mo | deposit $15K · 3,935 leases |
| Apartment 40–70 m² | $1,008/mo | deposit $54K · 3,015 leases |
| Apartment 70–100 m² | $1,639/mo | deposit $109K · 2,002 leases |
Median rent of new apartment leases in all 25 districts, Jul 2026–Sep 2026, with a deposit paid on top. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Singapore
| 2-room flat (36–45 m²) | $1,836/mo (SGD 2,350) | 284 leases |
| 3-room flat (about 65 m²) | $2,266/mo (SGD 2,900) | 2,940 leases |
| 4-room flat (about 90 m²) | $2,657/mo (SGD 3,400) | 3,226 leases |
| 5-room flat (about 110 m²) | $2,735/mo (SGD 3,500) | 1,929 leases |
Median rent of whole public-housing (HDB) flats approved for rent, Jul 2026–Sep 2026. An HDB “n-room” flat counts the living room, so a 3-room flat has two bedrooms. Private condominiums are not included. Source: Housing & Development Board, renting out of flats (data.gov.sg), Singapore Open Data Licence.
London
| All homes | $3,129/mo (£2,338) | |
| 1 bedroom | $2,361/mo (£1,764) | |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,997/mo (£2,239) | |
| 3 bedrooms | $3,548/mo (£2,651) |
Average rent of all private rented homes in London, existing and new tenancies, Sep 2026. Source: Office for National Statistics, Price Index of Private Rents, Open Government Licence v3.0.
New York City
| Studio | $1,708/mo | |
| 1 bedroom | $1,804/mo | |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,899/mo | |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,209/mo |
Median gross rent (rent plus utilities) of renter households paying cash rent in the city, existing and new tenancies, 2025. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year, table B25031.
Los Angeles
| Studio | $1,634/mo | |
| 1 bedroom | $1,821/mo | |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,290/mo | |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,698/mo |
Median gross rent (rent plus utilities) of renter households paying cash rent in the city, existing and new tenancies, 2025. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year, table B25031.
Tokyo
| Per 3.3 m² (1 tsubo) | $64/mo (¥10,074) | |
| 30 m², at this average | $581/mo (¥91,582) | |
| 50 m², at this average | $968/mo (¥152,636) |
Average monthly rent per 3.3 m² of privately rented homes in Tokyo's 23 wards, existing tenancies included, Sep 2026. The 30 m² and 50 m² rows are this average multiplied by size, not measured rents; new leases and small flats usually cost more. Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Retail Price Survey (e-Stat). このサービスは、政府統計総合窓口(e-Stat)のAPI機能を使用していますが、サービスの内容は国によって保証されたものではありません。 (This service uses the API of e-Stat, but its content is not guaranteed by the Government of Japan.).
Taipei
| Studio | $820/mo (NT$26,672) | 176 leases |
| 1 bedroom | $861/mo (NT$28,000) | 101 leases |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,383/mo (NT$45,000) | 235 leases |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,226/mo (NT$39,888) | 311 leases |
Median rent of whole homes and independent studios leased in Taipei City, by lease date May 2026–Aug 2026. Taiwan's rent registry mostly covers leases arranged through agents or rental management companies, so the sample leans that way; social housing, room shares and leases bundled with parking are left out. Source: Ministry of the Interior (Taiwan), actual price registration of rentals, Open Government Data License 1.0.
Sydney
| Studio | $1,673/mo (A$2,383) | 569 leases |
| 1 bedroom | $2,129/mo (A$3,033) | 9,849 leases |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,434/mo (A$3,467) | 15,490 leases |
| 3 bedrooms | $3,347/mo (A$4,767) | 2,618 leases |
Median rent of new leases (bonds lodged) for flats and units in Greater Sydney, Apr 2026–Jun 2026, converted from weekly rent. Source: NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Rent and Sales Report (rental bond lodgements), CC BY.
All neighborhoods · Rent by district
For reference only, not legal or financial advice.