As the number of foreign workers enrolled in employment insurance increased 2.6-fold over a five-year period, the total amount of unemployment benefits paid to foreigners reached an all-time high of 113.4 billion won.
According to data submitted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor to the office of People Power Party lawmaker Kim Wi-sang, foreign employment insurance subscribers surged 2.6-fold over four years, rising from approximately 177,200 in 2021 to 458,600 in 2025.
The number of foreign recipients of unemployment benefits also increased over the same period from about 15,400 to 16,700.
Total payouts grew from 100.22 billion won in 2021 to 113.399 billion won in 2025.
After dropping to 75.975 billion won in 2022, unemployment benefit payouts began to gradually increase the following year, surpassing 110 billion won last year.
The payment of unemployment benefits to foreigners was largely concentrated among Chinese nationals.
Last year, about 79 percent of the total unemployment benefits received by foreigners went to ethnic Koreans of Chinese nationality and Chinese nationals, with the total amount paid to them reaching 89.482 billion won.
As of the end of 2025, employment insurance subscribers of Chinese nationality and ethnic Korean Chinese descent stood at approximately 118,800, accounting for just 25.9 percent of all foreign subscribers. However, they accounted for 78 percent of all foreigners who received unemployment benefits that same year.
This indicates that the ratio of Chinese nationals receiving unemployment benefits relative to their number of employment insurance subscribers is exceptionally high.
Analysts suggest this is because ethnic Korean Chinese tend to stay in South Korea long-term and integrate into the domestic labor market more frequently than other foreign nationals.
Following China, the countries with the highest number of recipients were Vietnam, the United States, Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, in that order.
Employment insurance premiums paid by foreigners also increased significantly, with the total assessment for regular foreign workers' unemployment benefits and employment stabilization insurance rising from 92.917 billion won in 2021 to 177.276 billion won in 2025.
Reported by Lee Ho-geon | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
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