From Campus to Illegal Stay: One in Ten Foreign Students in Korea Falls Out of Legal Status

More than one in ten foreign students who entered South Korea to study at universities or language institutes have become undocumented residents, raising concerns that the country’s international student policy has focused on expansion rather than stability. A recent academic report shows that the number of undocumented residents who originally entered Korea on student-related visas has increased more than fivefold over the past decade, with Vietnamese nationals accounting for the largest share.

The findings were released on January 15 by Kim Gyu-chan, an associate professor at Gangneung-Wonju National University, based on data obtained from the Ministry of Justice. As of 2024, 34,267 undocumented residents were found to have entered Korea on student or language training visas, compared with 6,782 in 2014. Among them, 9,580 were former university students holding D-2 visas, while 24,687 were former language trainees under D-4 visas. The proportion of illegal stayers among all foreign students rose from 7.8% in 2014 to 8.7% in 2018 and peaked at 15.7% in 2022, before declining to 11.6%, still significantly higher than levels seen a decade ago.

Nationality data reveals a heavy concentration among Vietnamese students. In 2024, Vietnamese nationals made up 69.7% of undocumented former D-2 visa holders and 88.9% of former D-4 visa holders, a sharp increase from the mid-2010s. Researchers warn that as universities continue to expand the recruitment of language trainees, the risk of illegal stays concentrated among specific countries could further intensify.

The report notes a gap between policy goals and outcomes. While the Ministry of Education aims to attract 300,000 international students under its “Study Korea 3.0” initiative and the Ministry of Justice promotes foreign students as potential long-term talent, settlement results remain limited. Kim emphasized that international students should be recognized not merely as a temporary response to declining domestic enrollment but as potential new residents and human resources, calling for integrated data systems and stronger career support to improve long-term stability.