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The average Korean language proficiency of foreigners was 3.4 out of 5. When looking at Korean language proficiency by residence status, it is in the order of permanent residence (4.3 points), overseas Koreans (4.2 points), and visiting workers (3.8 points). Non-professional workers (2.8 points) and professional workers (2.8 points) had the lowest Korean language proficiency.
The National Statistical Office has been conducting a survey on the status of immigrant residence and employment targeting immigrants (foreigners and naturalized citizens) residing in the country since 2017. The results of this survey are used as basic data for understanding the status of immigrant employment, residence management, and social integration, and for establishing related policies.
These statistics, released on March 19, utilize the ‘2024 Immigration Status and Employment Survey Results’ to segment foreigners residing in Korea by their residence status and analyze their lives in Korea.
Korean language skills
It is very advantageous for foreigners living in Korea to be good at Korean. That is why the Korean government operates two Korean language education programs: the Social Integration Program and the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK).
Looking at the Korean language proficiency test, the proportion of foreigners who obtained a level was 20.8%. Looking at the residence qualification, international students (55.6%) and professionals (30.1%) obtained a lot of TOPIK levels, while visiting workers (6.0%) and overseas Koreans (7.3%) obtained less. It is estimated that a significant number of foreigners who did not obtain a TOPIK level are studying for the social integration program.
The proportion of Korean language proficiency test acquisition levels was 2nd level (19.4%), 4th level (19.4%), and 3rd level (19.0%) in that order.
The proportion of acquisition of the highest level 6 was high among overseas Koreans (34.7%) and permanent residents (34.0%), and the lowest level 1 was highest among non-professional workers (33.0%).
Korean language proficiency is also a great help in changing residence status for foreigners, so you should study hard.
Wage level
The average monthly wage level of foreign wage workers was 51.2% with an income of 2 to 3 million won, and 37.1% with an income of 3 million won or more. This shows that many foreigners are still working in low-income jobs and supporting Korean society.
The proportion of salaries of 2 to 3 million won was in the order of non-professional employment (70.8%), professional workers (50.5%), marriage immigrants (46.6%), and visiting workers (44.9%), and the residence qualifications with the highest proportion of over 3 million won were permanent residents (55.2%), professional workers (46.5%), and overseas Koreans (46.1%). The largest proportion of international students was those with salaries of 1 to 2 million won (48.3%).
Life satisfaction
The overall satisfaction level of foreigners with their lives in Korea was 4.3 points on average, with non-professional employment (4.4 points) being the highest, and visiting workers, international students, and overseas Koreans (4.2 points) being slightly lower than the average of all foreigners. The proportion of foreigners who have experienced discrimination was 17.4%, and international students (27.7%) were the highest among residence qualifications.
In the life satisfaction survey, six items were investigated: ▲family relationships ▲relationships with people around you ▲your job ▲your income ▲local living environment ▲leisure activities. Family relationships had the highest satisfaction score at 4.5 points, while your income had the lowest score at 3.7 points.
Lee Hyung-il, the commissioner of Statistics Korea, said, “I hope that this report will serve as an opportunity for the active use of the Immigrant Residence Status and Employment Survey data to analyze various aspects of foreigners’ lives in Korea, and that this will provide practical assistance in establishing immigration policies related to Korea’s population, society, and economy.”
Mary Eve of Papaya Story
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