How to advertise to foreigners in Korea
Reach foreigners in Korea where they look things up before they decide, in a language they read easily. About 2.78 million foreign residents lived in Korea at the end of 2025, more than 1 in 20 people. Pick the channel by who you need: community groups for one nationality, social ads for wide reach, search ads for people already looking, and guide sites like Seoulstart for people sorting out visas, jobs, housing and health.
Who the foreign residents in Korea are
Korea counted 2,783,247 foreign residents on December 31, 2025. That is 5.0% more than a year before and 5.44% of the population. (Ministry of Justice)
Agencies often call this market "expats", but most foreign residents in Korea are not Western professionals. The five largest groups come from China, Vietnam, the United States, Thailand and Uzbekistan, and many are workers, students and families. An English-only campaign reaches only part of them.
| Nationality | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| China (incl. Korean-Chinese) | 980,670 | 35.2% |
| Vietnam | 337,183 | 12.1% |
| United States | 180,230 | 6.5% |
| Thailand | 169,848 | 6.1% |
| Uzbekistan | 102,804 | 3.7% |
Two groups matter to many advertisers. International students numbered 308,838 at the end of 2025, up 17.1% in a year. Employed foreign residents numbered 1,109,000 in May 2025, the most since the survey began in 2012.
Where to reach them
Each channel reaches a different group of people. Pick by who you need and what you sell.
| Channel | Who you reach | Works well for | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community groups and chats | People from one country or language group, in Facebook groups and messenger chats | Local shops, restaurants, events, word of mouth | Each admin sets the rules, and many groups do not allow ads. |
| Social ads (Meta and others) | People in Korea, filtered by the language they set and by interests | Apps, brands and events that need wide reach | You pay per view or click, and you need ad copy in each language. |
| Search ads (Google, Naver) | People searching for a service right now | Services people look up by name: banks, phone plans, lawyers, clinics | Add keywords in the languages your customers search in, not only Korean. |
| Seoulstart | Foreign residents reading guides on visas, jobs, housing, health and money, in six languages | Services people need at a decision point: banks, phone plans, schools, movers, clinics, employers | One sponsor per spot, reviewed within one business day. Korea-only campaigns by email. |
Advertising on Seoulstart
Seoulstart guides explain visas, jobs, housing, health and money in English, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. You can buy:
- Banner ads on guide topics: top, side, mid-guide, end and footer banners on every guide in a topic. A top banner costs ₩50,000 to ₩150,000 per 4 weeks.
- Banner ads on the job boards: the top of the Korea jobs list costs ₩850,000 per 4 weeks, a banner on every Korea job page ₩450,000, and the top of the Global, Remote and AI jobs lists ₩150,000.
- Directory listings: the first row of a list such as healthcare, legal or language schools. ₩100,000 for 3 months.
- readers a month
- 34,000+
- page views a month
- 76,000+
- languages
- 6
- more readers than the previous 30 days
- +9%
Google Analytics 4, Sep 30, 2026 to Oct 29, 2026, with known bot traffic filtered out.
One sponsor per spot. Write your ad in one language and we translate it into the other five. Every order is at least ₩100,000 before VAT, and you pay after we approve your ad.
Ads that need a license number
Immigration paperwork agents (행정사), real estate agents, money transfer services, private academies and recruiters need a Korean registration number. Ads for banks, cards, insurance and investments need the provider's ad review number (심의필). Clinic ads follow the Medical Service Act (의료법). Seoulstart asks for the number when you send your ad.
Questions
What is the best way to advertise to foreigners in Korea?
Pick channels by who you need. Community groups reach one nationality. Social ads reach people by language and interest, and search ads reach people looking for a service. Guide sites like Seoulstart reach foreign residents while they sort out a visa, a job, a lease or a doctor, in six languages, with one sponsor per spot.
How many foreigners live in Korea?
2,783,247 foreign residents at the end of 2025, according to the Ministry of Justice, or 5.44% of the population. The largest groups come from China (including Korean-Chinese), Vietnam, the United States, Thailand and Uzbekistan.
Which language should my ad be in?
The languages your customers read. On Seoulstart, you write your ad once in English, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Chinese or Japanese, and we translate it into the other five.
How many people read Seoulstart?
In the 30 days to Oct 29, 2026, Seoulstart had 34,000+ readers and 76,000+ page views (Google Analytics 4, known bot traffic filtered out). That is 9% more readers than the previous 30 days. The numbers update every day.
How much does it cost to advertise on Seoulstart?
Orders start at ₩100,000 before VAT. A top banner on a guide topic costs ₩50,000 to ₩150,000 per 4 weeks, and the top banner on the Korea jobs list costs ₩850,000.
Do I need a license to advertise to foreigners in Korea?
It depends on what you sell. Immigration paperwork agents, real estate agents, money transfer services, private academies and recruiters need a Korean registration number. Financial products need an ad review number, and clinic ads follow the Medical Service Act. Seoulstart checks this before your ad runs.
Can I show ads only to foreigners living in Korea?
Self-serve banner ads on Seoulstart reach every reader, in Korea and abroad. For Korea-only campaigns, email hello@seoulstart.com.