Over 98,000 Uzbek Nationals Reside in South Korea

As of the end of June 2025, more than 98,400 citizens of Uzbekistan were residing in South Korea, according to a recent report by The Korea Times. This figure places the Uzbek diaspora as the fifth largest foreign population in the country.

Chinese nationals remain the largest foreign group in South Korea, with 972,100 residents. They are followed by Vietnamese citizens at 341,100, and Americans at 196,600. Thai nationals rank fourth, with a population of 173,700.

The report notes that the majority of foreign residents are concentrated in Seoul, the surrounding capital region and the southern provinces of the country.

Around 20% of South Korea’s foreign residents are in the country on F-4 visas, typically issued to ethnic Koreans from overseas. An additional 12% are present under the E-9 work visa programme, designed for foreign labourers in designated industries.

In total, South Korea hosted approximately 2.7 mln foreign nationals as of mid-2025. Citizens of China accounted for nearly one-third of this figure, underscoring their significant presence within the country’s diverse expatriate population.

Kursiv also reports that South Korea’s Deputy Permanent Representative to Geneva, Choi Sung-yo, has been appointed chair of the WTO working party overseeing Uzbekistan’s accession.