S. Korea Finds More Homeless People on City Streets
By wchung | 09 May, 2025

The number of homeless people in Korea has grown from 4,187 in 2010 to 4,921 in June, a 17.5% growth over the past two years, according to newly acquired data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The number of homeless people who live on the streets instead of shelters or other government-funded facilities surged from 1,074 to 1,785 — a 66.2% jump.

The biggest surge in the ranks of the homeless occurred in Seoul where they increased from 2,671 to 3,304, a 67.1% jump from over the two-year period. Those living in the capital’s streets shot up from 393 in 2011 to 1,022 this year, a 160% jump in a single year.

The southwestern port city of Busan had the second biggest number of homeless at 415, followed by Gyeonggi Province, the region surrounding Seoul, at 347 and the south-central industrial city of Daegu with 284.

The cause of the big rise in the ranks of the homeless appears uncertain, according to Chosun Ilbo.

Some economists attribute it to the number of people suffering from the slowdown and the growing wealth gap triggered by the global financial crisis. The Seoul city government, however, says it’s simply due to the fact that this year’s survey did a better job of counting. In the past the survey merely counted the homeless congregating in areas like Seoul Station or Yongsan Station. This year the city hired 150 people to cover more than 25 of Seoul’s administrative districts for more accurate results.