Seoul, March 28 (NationPress) - The count of international students in South Korea has exceeded 310,000 for the very first time, according to data released by the government on Saturday.

The Korea Immigration Service, operating under the justice ministry, reported that the figure reached 314,397 as of February, marking a significant milestone as it surpasses the 310,000 threshold.

In terms of demographics, 238,905 students were enrolled in universities and other advanced educational institutions, while 75,033 were undergoing Korean language training and 459 were in other language programs, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

The total number of foreign students has approximately doubled over the last five years; it was 153,361 at the end of 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching over 300,000 for the first time in August of last year.

As of February, the overall number of foreign nationals residing in South Korea was 2.71 million, a rise of 4.4% from the previous year. The growth rate of foreign students, at 15%, outpaced that of the general foreign population.

Notably, the influx of students coming to the country for university studies surged 22.2% year-on-year, rising from 195,450 to 238,905.

By country of origin, Vietnamese students comprised the largest group at 115,131, followed by Chinese students at 78,529, Uzbek students at 20,609, and Mongolian students at 18,992.

Additionally, earlier this month, government statistics indicated that the number of foreign nationals living in South Korea had approached 1.7 million as of May of the previous year.

The total stood at 1.69 million in May, reflecting an increase of 8.4% from the prior year, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. This figure pertains to foreigners aged 15 and older who have been living in the country for more than 91 days.

In terms of categories, overseas Koreans holding foreign nationalities made up the largest share at 24.2%, followed by non-professional employment visa holders at 19%. International students represented 14%, and permanent residents accounted for 9.6%.

Among foreign nationals, ethnic Koreans with Chinese nationality constituted 29.9% of the total, followed by individuals from Vietnam at 16%.

Furthermore, 65.5% of foreign nationals were employed as of May.

Of those employed, 10.8% reported seeking new job opportunities, primarily due to low wages.

Approximately 32% of foreign nationals indicated that their monthly income ranged between 2 million won (approximately US$1,362) and 3 million won. Additionally, 12.9% of foreigners reported experiencing financial challenges over the past year.