Moving to South Korea from Afghanistan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Afghanistan to South Korea — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Afghanistan to South Korea, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Afghanistan to South Korea, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Afghanistan to South Korea · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to South Korea?
Top countries of origin for South Korea's foreign-born residents.
- 803,011
- 177,274
- 159,264
- 68,050
- 64,942
- 55,601
Key Indicator Comparison
How Afghanistan and South Korea stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
South Korea performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
South Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Afghanistan leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Afghanistan generally does better on environment, though South Korea leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
South Korea generally does better on infrastructure, though Afghanistan leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
South Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though Afghanistan leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
South Korea performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all family life metrics.
Data: Afghanistan Revenue Department, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Kabul | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/25°F (8°/-4°C) | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/56°F (31°/13°C) | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 59°/31°F (15°/-1°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kabul | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/19°F (4.5°/-7.1°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) |
| Feb | 42°/22°F (5.5°/-5.7°C) | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 54°/33°F (12.5°/0.7°C) | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) |
| May | 76°/48°F (24.4°/8.8°C) | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) |
| Jun | 86°/54°F (30.2°/12.4°C) | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) |
| Jul | 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) |
| Aug | 90°/58°F (32.0°/14.3°C) | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) |
| Sep | 83°/49°F (28.5°/9.4°C) | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) |
| Oct | 72°/39°F (22.4°/3.9°C) | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) |
| Nov | 59°/30°F (15.0°/-1.2°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) |
| Dec | 47°/24°F (8.3°/-4.7°C) | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) |
Korea Meteorological AdministrationVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Afghanistan and South Korea. To live, work, or study long-term in South Korea, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check South Korea's immigration authority.
Afghanistan passport holder visiting South Korea
Visa Required
South Korea passport holder visiting Afghanistan
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from South Korea?
With 45.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, South Korea can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Afghanistan and South Korea.
Is South Korea safe for expats?
South Korea performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Korea is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.0 in Afghanistan.
How is healthcare in South Korea compared to Afghanistan?
South Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Afghanistan leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 25.2 doctors per 10,000 people in South Korea, compared to 2.5 in Afghanistan. South Korea scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Afghanistan: 41).
What's the weather like in South Korea compared to Afghanistan?
The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 67°F in Kabul. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Kabul gets 12.3 in.
What language do they speak in South Korea?
The official language in South Korea is Korean. In Afghanistan, the official languages are Dari, Pashto and Turkmen.
