The number of people naturalized as citizens last year exceeded 11,000, the highest since 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shown are foreign students on Nov. 6, 2025, posing for a group photo at an event marking Ajou International Day at Ajou University in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do Province. (Lee Jeongwoo)

By Kang Gahui

The number of people naturalized as citizens last year exceeded 11,000, the highest since 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Korea Immigration Service of the Ministry of Justice on Feb. 4 quoted a monthly statistical report as saying 11,344 of 18,623 applicants were granted citizenship between January to December last year.

The record is 13,885 in 2020 due to the surge in applications for citizenship driven by expats choosing to settle in the country during the pandemic because of restricted travel and the spread of the coronavirus in their home countries.

The figure subsequently fell to 10,895 in 2021 and 10,248 in 2022, but rose again to 10,346 in 2023 and 11,008 in 2024.

By nationality, Chinese accounted for 56.5% or 6,420 of naturalized citizens last year, followed by Vietnamese (23.4%), Filipinos (3.1%), and Thais (2.2%).

The number of people who regained Korean nationality last year after previously renouncing it reached 4,037, led by Japanese (3.2%), Chinese (2.5%) and Vietnamese (0.8%) in that order.

kgh89@korea.kr