In December 2020, Reuters reported that at least 522 Thai migrant workers in South Korea had died since 2015. According to the news agency, the vast majority were undocumented, and approximately 40 percent died of unknown causes; the other 60 percent died from health issues, accidents, or suicide.
On Jan. 4, South Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that the South Korean population officially declined for the first time, decreasing by 20,838 (0.04 percent) since 2019, making the 2020 total 51,829,023. This decline was caused by a 23,787 (0.09 percent) drop in the male population; the female population grew, but the rate of growth was just 0.01 percent, 0.09 percent down on last year.
