이주배경 청소년 지원재단

한국어 English 日本語 中國語
Psychological support Improving awareness Education/training business R&D
Service institutions
Notice Major events In the News Press Release
Counseling application DAGAGAM Application Visit Application Application for Training

Status

Migrant youth status (general)
Children of foreign residents 289,529 Population (persons), Ministry of Public Administration and Security (2021.11. 1.) (0-18 years old)
Mid-immigrant adolescents 3,240 Population (persons), Ministry of Justice (2021.12.) (under 18 years old)
North Korean defector youth 1,994 Population (persons), Ministry of Unification (2021.12.) (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
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
2018.11.1. 234,506 114,125 92,368 16,164 11,849
2017.11.1. 222,455 115,085 81,826 15,753 9,791
Source: Ministry of the Interior and Safety 2017~2021 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 Naturalized and children with foreign nationality Domestic born children
Subtotal Male Female Subtotal Male Female Subtotal Male Female
2021 289,529 147,612 141,917 15,807 7,513 8,294 273,722 140,099 133,623
2020 275,990 140,750 135,240 14,344 6,846 7,489 261,646 133,904 127,742
Increase and decrease 13,539 6,862 6,677 1,463 667 796 12,076 6,195 5,881
4.9% 4.9% 4.9% 10.2% 9.7% 10.6% 4.6% 4.6% 4.6%
Source: Ministry of the Interior and Safety 2021 Local Government Foreign Residents status(2022.11.)

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.)
  • Note) Household member weight applied
Mid-immigrant children by country Unit: people
Division 2017.04 2017.09 2018.06 2019.12 2020.12 2021.12
Total 8,637 9,434 9,892 4,112 3,587 3,240
Country China 6,307 6,734 7,003 1,691 1,427 1,228
Vietnam 899 1,173 1,260 1,249 1,038 853
Philippines 284 308 334 302 323 274
etc. 1,147 1,219 1,295 870 799 885
Source: Ministry of Justice (2021.12.)
  • 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
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
2018 Total 118,503 60,661 259,778 438,942
Male 59,944 28,150 134,453 222,547
Female 58,559 35,511 125,325 216,395
2017 Total 103,519 53,798 232,186 389,403
Male 52,434 25,209 119,578 197,221
Female 50,985 28,589 112,608 192,182
Source: 2020 Immigration and Foreigner Policy Statistical Yearbook (Ministry of Justice, 2021.07.)
School enrollment status of children from multicultural families
Number of students from multicultural families by year Unit: people
Year 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Number of students 109,387 122,212 137,225 147,378 160,056 168,645
Ratio to total students 1.9% 2.1% 2.5% 2.8% 3.0% 3.20%
Source: Basic Education Statistics by Ministry of Education (Aug. 2021)
School enrollment status of children from multicultural families Unit: people
Division Total Elementary school Middle school High school Various schools
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
2018 Domestic born 98,263 76,181 13,599 8,361 122
Mid-immigrant 8,320 5,023 1,907 1,185 205
Foreign families 15,629 11,823 2,562 1,142 102
Subtotal 122,212 93,027 18,068 10,688 429
2017 Domestic born 89,314 68,610 12,265 8,335 104
Mid-immigrant 7,792 4,843 1,722 1,063 164
Foreign families 12,281 9,280 1,958 936 107
Subtotal 109,387 82,733 15,945 10,334 375
Source: Basic Education Statistics by Ministry of Education (Aug. 2021)
  • 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 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Total(numbers of people entering the country) 1,127 1,137 1,047 229 63
Adolescents (9-24 years old) 184 173 228 46 **
Source: Ministry of Unification (’21.12.), based on the age at the time of entry (9-24 years old)

*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 651 1,703 2,623 4,977
Female 646 2,105 6,967 9,718
Total 1,297 3,808 9,590 14,695
Source: Ministry of Unification (December 2021), 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 Alternative education facility
(full-time) **		 Total
Elementary school Middle school High school Other school *
Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Attending status
(’21.4.) 		333 321 385 355 359 380 72 82 259 2,546
654 740 739 154
2,287
Source: Ministry of Education (as of April 4, 2021)
  • * Special schools, civic schools, high civic schools, technical high schools, various schools, broadcasting and communication middle and high schools, etc.
  • ** As of August 2021(source: Ministry of Unification)
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
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
18.04 932 (36.7) 682 (26.9) 751 (29.6) 173 (6.8) 2,538
17.04 1,027 (40.5) 726 (20.6) 785 (30.9) - - 2,538
Source: Ministry of Education (’21.4.)
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
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
2018 Born in North Korea 262 315 353 78 1,008
Born in a third country such as China 670(71.9%) 367(53.8%) 398(53%) 95(54.9%) 1,530(60.3%)
Total 932 682 751 173 2,538
2017 Born in North Korea 361 332 408 - 1,101
Born in a third country such as China 666(64.8%) 394(54.2%) 377(48%) - 1,437(56.6%)
Total 1,027 726 785 - 2,538
Source: Ministry of Education (as of April 4, 2021)

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.