Chinese top list of foreign residents in Seoul

There were more Chinese residents in Seoul last year than any other foreign nationality, according to statistics compiled by the Seoul city government based on resident registration figures from 2000.

With a total of 17,432 people, Chinese residents in Seoul outnumbered Americans, which previously had the distinction. In 2000, American residents in Seoul numbered 16,658 and those from Japan, which finished third, totaled 6,703. The overall number of foreign residents in Seoul increased by 8.3% from 57,189 in 1999 to 61,920 in 2000.

Meantime, the population in Seoul based on resident registration rose 0.5% (51,785 people) from 1999 to 10,373,234 as of Dec. 31 last year. The population in Seoul had decreased every year since 1993, Seoul City said.