The number of foreign nationals residing in South Korea approached 1.7 million as of May last year, government data showed Tuesday.

The total number came to 1.69 million as of last May, up 8.4 percent from a year earlier, according to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The figure refers to foreigners aged 15 and older who have resided in the country for more than 91 days.

By category, overseas Koreans with foreign nationalities accounted for the largest share, at 24.2 percent, followed by non-professional employment visa holders, at 19 percent, the data showed. International students accounted for 14 percent, and permanent residents accounted for 9.6 percent.

Among foreign nationals, ethnic Koreans with Chinese nationality accounted for 29.9 percent of the total, followed by those from Vietnam with 16 percent, the data showed.

The data also showed that 65.5 percent of foreign nationals had jobs as of May.

Among those employed, 10.8 percent of foreign workers said they were seeking new jobs, with most citing low income as the main reason.

About 32 percent of foreign nationals reported earning a monthly income between 2 million won (US$1,362) and 3 million won, the data showed.

The data also showed 12.9 percent of foreigners said they experienced financial difficulties over the past year.

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