Korea reports net outflow of people for first time in 16 years

Travelers line up at Incheon International AIrport on Thursday. [YONHAP]

More people left Korea than arrived in 2021, the first net loss in 16 years.

In part, this was due to Covid-19 restrictions.

As the entry of foreigners was limited, the net exodus is expected to take a heavy toll on SMEs and farms that rely on foreign workers.

According to Statistics Korea on Thursday, 410,000 people arrived in Korea last year and 476,000 left.

As such, the loss was 66,000.

This is the biggest net exit since 2006, when 94,505 people left on a net basis.

This includes both foreigners with permission to stay more than 90 days and Koreans.

The statistics agency said because of the strict restrictions during Covid-19 both the number of people arriving in Korea and those that left dropped fast.

On year, arrivals fell 39 percent and the number that left fell 15 percent.

Last year, 221,000 foreigners arrived in Korea and 263,000 left, adding up to a net loss of 43,000.

This was the second year in which more foreigners left the country than arrived.

The net outflow of foreigners in their 30s totaled 28,000. For those in their 40s, it was 12,000.

"There was an increase of foreigners coming to Korea to study or for vocational training to the level of 2019," said Noh Hyung-joon, director of the Population Census Division at the statistics agency. "But those that were entering Korea for employment is smaller compared to 2019 or earlier."

The shortage of migrant workers has been a growing concern since Covid-19 started.

In a survey of 10,000 SMEs released by the Korea Federation of SMEs on Tuesday, 57 percent said they were short of workers.

Flights have been increased since last month to increase the number of foreign workers.

The Justice and Labor Ministry may also introduce a new visa to help attract foreign workers to live and work in rural areas with declining populations.

Last year, 250,000 fewer Koreans arrived in Korea, a 56.9 percent drop, and 14,000 more left, a 7.2 percent increase. That comes to a net outflow of 23,000.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]