South Korea: Can immigration grow its workforce?

2025-04-07

The country is facing a labour shortage following decades of low birth rate and depopulation.By the year 2032, it’s estimated South Korea will need more than 890,000 additional workers to maintain the country’s long term economic growth goal of 2%.But with 95% of the country’s population identifying as ethnically Korean, the public opinion on immigration is mixed.In the second of our three-part series looking at South Korea’s low birth rate and population decline, we ask if the immigration can fil...

The country is facing a labour shortage following decades of low birth rate and depopulation.

By the year 2032, it’s estimated South Korea will need more than 890,000 additional workers to maintain the country’s long term economic growth goal of 2%.

But with 95% of the country’s population identifying as ethnically Korean, the public opinion on immigration is mixed.

In the second of our three-part series looking at South Korea’s low birth rate and population decline, we ask if the immigration can fill the gap in labour, and what the challenges are.

Produced and presented by David Cann.

(Image: A worker from the Philippines holding a baby in South Korea. Credit: Getty Images)

Comments (3)