About 2.56 million Korean Americans and Korean nationals are living in the United States, making it the single largest destination for overseas Koreans worldwide. The US alone accounts for about 36% of the entire overseas Korean population, according to newly released official statistics.
The Overseas Koreans Agency said the findings were announced last month on the 31st, based on data current as of December 31, 2024. The agency’s “2025 Overseas Koreans Report” shows that 7,006,703 overseas Koreans—including Korean nationals abroad and ethnic Koreans with foreign citizenship—were residing or staying in 181 countries. This represents a 1.06% decrease, or 74,807 people, from the end of 2022, when the total stood at 7,081,510.
By country, the United States maintained its position as the world’s top host nation for overseas Koreans, far exceeding China and Japan. The US recorded 2,557,047 overseas Koreans, followed by China with 1,848,241 and Japan with 960,970. Other major destinations included Canada with 263,153, Vietnam with 192,683, Uzbekistan with 175,338, Australia with 170,215, Kazakhstan with 122,554, Russia with 113,042, and the Philippines with 52,695.
Although the United States remained the top host country, the number of overseas Koreans there declined slightly compared with the previous survey. The Overseas Koreans Agency attributed the drop primarily to a methodological change in the US census adjustment for non-response, which was lowered from 26% to 15. The agency said the change reflects a revision in statistical estimation rather than a meaningful shift in the actual resident population.
By legal status, the global total included 2,402,026 Korean nationals living overseas and 4,604,677 ethnic Koreans holding foreign citizenship. Compared with the previous survey, the number of Korean nationals abroad fell by 2.67% (65,943 people), while foreign-national Koreans declined by 0.19% (8,864 people).
Regionally, the number of overseas Koreans increased by 12.5% in the South Asia–Pacific region and by 7.6% in Europe. In contrast, regions that together account for about 87% of the global overseas Korean population—including Northeast Asia, North America, Russia, and the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States)—recorded overall declines. North America alone saw a 1.49% decrease.
Within Northeast Asia, country-level trends diverged. Japan recorded a 19.8% increase after children born through international marriages were newly reflected in the statistics. China, by contrast, was estimated to have experienced a 12.39% decline as more residents returned to Korea or moved to third countries amid changing economic conditions. The Russia and CIS region also saw a reduction in overseas Koreans, which the agency linked to the impact of the Russia–Ukraine war.
The data were compiled using official host-country census figures collected through overseas diplomatic missions, combined with Korea’s overseas national registry, overseas voter rolls, consular administrative records, and surveys conducted by Korean community organizations. To strengthen reliability, the Overseas Koreans Agency conducted additional research and verification through a statistics committee composed of overseas Korean and statistical experts.
The agency plans to publish the “2025 Overseas Koreans Report” in book form and distribute it to major government bodies, universities, research institutes, public libraries, and media organizations. The statistics are expected to serve as baseline data for overseas Korean policy planning, academic research, and corporate strategies for overseas expansion, particularly in major host countries such as the United States.
BY HANKIL KANG [kang.hankil@koreadaily.com]
