Korea, Dem. People's Rep.: Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Korea, Dem. People's Rep.'s asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin fell 57.1% on 2024 (from 105 to 45).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +19.5% and a typical year strayed about 61.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 144.2% in 2007 and the biggest yearly fall was 75.2% in 2014. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about 47.81 a year. A straight line explains 56% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Korea, Dem. People's Rep. had the 167th highest value of the 190 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Korea, Dem. People's Rep. in the 2025 ranking

• Estonia — 164th of 190: 52
• Kiribati — 165th of 190: 52
• Denmark — 166th of 190: 49
• United Arab Emirates — 168th of 190: 45
• Croatia — 169th of 190: 43
• New Zealand — 170th of 190: 43

What this measures

Asylum-seekers are individuals who have sought international protection and whose claims for refugee status have not yet been determined. This includes those who are in various stages of the asylum process, such as initial application, appeal, or awaiting final decision. In specific contexts, asylum-seekers may also include those who are seeking protection under complementary forms of protection, and those enjoying temporary protection, but whose claims are still under consideration.

Limitations: Variability in national asylum procedures and processing times can lead to inconsistencies in data reporting, affecting the accuracy of cross-country comparisons. Unregistered asylum claims or informal border crossings may result in incomplete data, underestimating the true scope of the need for protection. Additionally, the changing status of individuals, such as those asylum-seekers that are recognized as refugees, complicates the tracking and categorization of data.

All 26 values

Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin in nearby economies

• Australia — 31 (2025)
• Brunei Darussalam — 170 (2025)
• Cambodia — 1,646 (2025)
• China — 99,716 (2025)
• Fiji — 2,058 (2025)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 415 (2025)
• Indonesia — 8,205 (2025)
• Japan — 91 (2025)
• Kiribati — 52 (2025)
• Korea, Rep.

More social protection & labor data for Korea, Dem. People's Rep.

• Net migration — -2,787 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 81.89% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 75.24% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 78.49% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 87.34% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 91.18% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Korea, Dem. People's Rep.'s asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin?

45 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is down 10% from 50 in 2000 (0.42% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1,023 in 2012 and the lowest 41 in 2003.

How does Korea, Dem. People's Rep. rank?

167th highest of 190 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin unusual for Korea, Dem. People's Rep.?

In 2025, Korea, Dem. People's Rep.'s asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin fell 57.1% on 2024 (from 105 to 45). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was +19.5% and a typical year strayed about 61.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SM.POP.ASYS.EO, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), uri: https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/download Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.