Refugees by country of asylum in South Korea
South Korea: Refugees by country of asylum was 4,241 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Refugees by country of asylum in South Korea, 1978–2024
Source: UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 4,241 people for refugees by country of asylum in 2024. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
The figure is up 4.6% on the previous year and up 264.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees by country of asylum in South Korea peaked at 4,241 people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5 people, in 1995.
That places South Korea 109th out of 183 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Refugees by country of asylum in South Korea, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 70 people | — |
| 1979 | 170 people | +142.9% |
| 1981 | 60 people | -64.7% |
| 1982 | 70 people | +16.7% |
| 1987 | 60 people | -14.3% |
| 1988 | 120 people | +100.0% |
| 1989 | 230 people | +91.7% |
| 1990 | 230 people | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 162 people | -29.6% |
| 1992 | 149 people | -8.0% |
| 1995 | 5 people | -96.6% |
| 1996 | 5 people | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 5 people | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 5 people | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 5 people | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 5 people | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 15 people | +200.0% |
| 2003 | 20 people | +33.3% |
| 2004 | 37 people | +85.0% |
| 2005 | 61 people | +64.9% |
| 2006 | 90 people | +47.5% |
| 2007 | 108 people | +20.0% |
| 2008 | 162 people | +50.0% |
| 2009 | 253 people | +56.2% |
| 2010 | 352 people | +39.1% |
| 2011 | 389 people | +10.5% |
| 2012 | 488 people | +25.4% |
| 2013 | 548 people | +12.3% |
| 2014 | 1,164 people | +112.4% |
| 2015 | 1,455 people | +25.0% |
| 2016 | 1,798 people | +23.6% |
| 2017 | 2,238 people | +24.5% |
| 2018 | 2,890 people | +29.1% |
| 2019 | 3,196 people | +10.6% |
| 2020 | 3,443 people | +7.7% |
| 2021 | 3,559 people | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 3,825 people | +7.5% |
| 2023 | 4,053 people | +6.0% |
| 2024 | 4,241 people | +4.6% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 4,241 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 10,077 people, 42% of the median. (67 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 4,241 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 51.5 people, 82.3× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees by country of asylum in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +200.0% | 5 people | 15 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 120 people | 70 people | 170 people | 2 |
| 1980s | 108 people | 60 people | 230 people | 5 |
| 1990s | 80.14 people | 5 people | 230 people | 7 |
| 2000s | 75.6 people | 5 people | 253 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,452 people | 352 people | 3,196 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,824 people | 3,443 people | 4,241 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 106 Mozambique 5,370 people compare
- 107 Namibia 5,258 people compare
- 108 Argentina 4,409 people compare
- 110 Gambia 3,964 people compare
- 111 Turkmenistan 3,409 people compare
- 112 Trinidad and Tobago 3,328 people compare
More reference data data for South Korea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9638 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9281 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2074 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees by country of asylum in South Korea?
- Refugees by country of asylum in South Korea was 4,241 people in 2024, according to UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest refugees by country of asylum recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 4,241 people in 2024.
- What is the lowest refugees by country of asylum recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 5 people in 1995.
- How does South Korea rank for refugees by country of asylum?
- South Korea ranks 109th out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
- Is refugees by country of asylum rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 264.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Refugees by country of asylum. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
People who fled their country of origin and are in need of international protection. Refugees are those who have already been granted asylum status in the country they moved to. This includes all refugees who live in this country, not just those who arrived that year.