KUALA LUMPUR - The foreign population in South Korea’s Gwangju–South Jeolla region is expanding at a pace far exceeding the national average, raising concerns over nationality concentration and its social and economic implications.

These findings were unveiled on December 15 at the 2025 Regional Economy Joint Seminar held at a hotel in Gwangju, The Korea Post reported. 

The seminar, themed “The Status of Foreign Residents in Gwangju–South Jeolla and Their Impact on the Regional Economy,” brought together policymakers and researchers to examine regional demographic shifts.

The study was jointly presented by Lee Chan-young, an economics professor at Chonnam National University, and Ahn Ji-yeon, deputy head of the Economic Research Team at the Bank of Korea’s Gwangju–South Jeolla Branch.

Data presented showed that Gwangju’s foreign population more than doubled from about 16,000 in 2013 to roughly 35,000 in 2023.

South Jeolla Province recorded even faster growth, with foreign resident numbers rising from around 25,000 to 62,000 over the same period.

By comparison, the total foreign population nationwide increased 1.7 times, from approximately 1.12 million to 1.94 million.

Within Gwangju, Gwangsan District and Buk-gu District recorded the largest foreign populations, at about 21,000 and 6,600 respectively.

In South Jeolla, Yeongam County and Naju City emerged as key settlement areas, with foreign resident numbers of around 9,600 and 5,100.

Sharp increases were also observed in southern coastal counties such as Goheung, Wando, Jindo and Sinan.

The presenters attributed this trend largely to efforts to ease labour shortages in fisheries and other ageing industries.

Lee said areas with a high share of residents from a single nationality tend to attract additional migrants from the same countries.

“This indicates that the presence of co-nationals, rather than economic factors alone, plays a significant role in driving foreign inflows,” he said.

While such clustering can ease settlement, Lee warned that it may complicate social integration if left unmanaged.

He stressed that immigration policies should balance nationality diversity with strategies to prevent excessive geographic concentration.

On concerns that rising foreign populations could drive Korean residents out of certain areas, Lee said no statistically significant evidence was found.

However, he noted some observable shifts, including changes in local living environments and the relocation of Korean workers seeking higher-skilled employment elsewhere.

Addressing fears that an influx of low-wage foreign labour could hinder industrial upgrading, Lee said the analysis found no meaningful negative effects.

Instead, he said increased task specialisation and labour division could enhance the efficiency of capital investment.

The study concluded that domestic and foreign workers are largely complementary rather than competing in the labour market.

The presenters called for policies that support shared growth through clearer role differentiation and job reallocation.

The seminar was jointly organised by the Bank of Korea’s Gwangju–South Jeolla Branch, the Gwangju Institute and the Jeonnam Research Institute.

Discussions also covered youth employment challenges in Gwangju and policy responses to workforce ageing in South Jeolla.