According to the foreign resident census conducted in May 2009, the number of foreign residents in Gyeonggi Province was 324,000 , up 16 percent compared with 2008. This number accounts for 2.9 percent of the registered population. Indeed, foreign residents are becoming our true neighbors.

The number of foreign residents in Gyeonggi Province accounts for 29 percent of the total of 1.107 million foreign residents in Korea. In terms of the number of foreign residents in the area, Gyeonggi Province was second only to Seoul. At the same time, the number of foreign workers and foreigners who came to Korea through international marriages that require the assistance of administrative agencies and civic groups has reached 240,000 persons (Seoul: 200,000 persons). Gyeonggi Province is home to the greatest number of foreign residents who have truly become our neighbors.

Looking at the status of foreign residents, we can see that 205,239 (63.35%) are foreign workers; 44,760 (13.82%) have come here through an international marriage; 25,648 (7.92%) are children of foreign residents; and 48,317 (14.91%) belong to other categories.

By gender, 56% (181,636) of foreign residents are men and 44% (142,328) are women. Out of these, 68% of foreign workers are men, whereas 85% of migrants through international marriage were women.

The number of foreign residents in the Province was 39,682 persons in 1998, 214,727 persons in 2007, and 277,991 persons in 2008, showing a steady increase year on year. Over the last three years, there has been an average annual increase of 23%.

Foreign residents in Gyeonggi Province are from diverse backgrounds. Foreign residents from China, including ethnic Koreans, accounted for 57% (182,857 persons), followed by Vietnam 9% (28,550 persons), Philippines 6% (18,347 persons), and Thailand 5% (14,810 persons).

In terms of cities and counties within Gyeonggi Province, the City of Ansan was home to the highest number of foreign residents, with numbers reaching 41,785, followed by Suwon (30,139), and Hwaseong (24,914); 12 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province were home to more than 10,000 foreign residents, and in four cities and counties the foreign residents accounted for more than five percent of the registered population. The City of Pocheon ranked top in terms of the ratio of foreign residents to total population in the city, at 6.44% (10,291 foreign residents).