The number of multicultural residents is rising in Korea as more foreign nationals settle in the country, government data showed Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs, the number of Korean residents with a foreign background reached about 1.74 million as of January this year, accounting for 3.4 percent of the total population. The number has tripled since 2006.

The figure includes marriage immigrants, the children of marriage immigrants, naturalized Koreans and those staying in the country on long-term visas lasting more than three months, officials said.

There were 30 cities and counties in which more than 5 percent of the people had multicultural backgrounds, mostly in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.

In Yeongdeungpo-gu in western Seoul, 17.5 percent of the total population was multicultural, followed by Geumcheon-gu and Guro-gu, with 13.8 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively.

The multicultural population in Yeongam County, South Jeolla Province, was 11 percent of the total in the region and in Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province, it was 10.6 percent.

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)