Foreign residents in Seoul feel less rooted in their local communities than they did a year ago, even as their overall satisfaction with life in the capital city has improved, according to a new survey. The 2025 Seoul Survey, released Wednesday by the city government, found that the sense of belonging among foreign residents declined across every indicator measured on a 10-point scale, where 10 signifies “strongly agree” and 0 “not at all.” Asked whether neighbors help one another “in times of difficulty,” foreign residents gave an average score of 4.11, down from 4.54 a year earlier. Other measures of neighborhood connection were similarly low. On average, foreign residents marked 4.05 for whether neighbors tend to know one another. They gave 3.90 for whether people discuss local issues and 3.81 for whether they take part in neighborhood events or gatherings — all lower than the previous year. The survey also found that feelings of belonging vary widely depending on where people live in the capital. Foreigners in districts with larger, more established migrant communities