High school students with migrant backgrounds nearly triple in 5 years

The number of high school students with migrant backgrounds in South Korea has grown 2.7-fold over the past five years, surpassing 30,000 for the first time last year.

The figure reached 33,622 as of April 2025, up 21.5 percent from 27,673 a year earlier.

In 2020, the number stood at 12,478, according to Education Ministry statistics released Wednesday.

The increase suggests that the country’s multicultural student population is entering a more mature stage, with more students with migrant backg ...