hankyoreh

Travelers wait in the security line at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 1 on Sept. 26, ahead of the Chuseok holiday. (Yonhap)

Data has shown that more than 17,000 South Koreans have moved abroad in the last five years, with the US as the most popular destination.

The Hankyoreh on Sunday analyzed data provided to Democratic Party lawmaker Hwang Hee by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to our findings, 17,664 Koreans reported moving abroad in the five-year period from 2018 to 2022.

After reaching 6,664 in 2018, the number of Koreans migrating overseas decreased to 4,412 in 2019 and 1,941 in 2020, but rebounded slightly to 2,015 in 2021 and 2,632 in 2022.

When categorized by type of migration under the Emigration Act, “locally obtained emigration” accounted for 14,725 people over the five-year period. Locally obtained emigration refers to emigration by those who left the country for purposes other than emigration but stayed in the country and obtained a permanent residence permit or equivalent long-term residence status.

There were 1,938 “relationship-based emigrations” who emigrated based on marriage or kinship, and 1,001 “non-relationship-based emigrations” who emigrated for reasons such as employment contracts or business with foreign companies.

By country, the US was the most popular choice, with 8,458 (47.9%) of reported emigrants choosing to settle in the US. This was followed by Canada (3,552; 20.1%), Australia (1,415; 8.0%), Japan (1,150; 6.5%), and New Zealand (722; 4.1%). About 80% of Korean emigrants were concentrated in English-speaking countries.

“It is natural to see an increase in emigration in the current global era, but this data also reflects the limitations of South Korean society, where citizens face fierce competition for survival, anxiety about the future, and difficulties in expressing individual diversity,” said Hwang.

“We must create measures on a national scale to create high-quality jobs in South Korea and prevent the outflow of invaluable human resources,” the lawmaker added.

By Lee Seung-jun, staff reporter

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