A new report finds the number of South Koreans that obtained permanent U.S. residency or citizenship grew last year.

Korean-American broadcaster Radio Korea quoted a statistics report by the Department of Homeland Security as saying Monday that some 27-thousand South Koreans acquired permanent residency status in the U.S. in 2008, up 19 percent from the previous year.

South Koreans were the ninth largest group to obtain permanent residency. Mexicans topped the list followed by Chinese and then Indians.

Most of the South Koreans included in the figure were found to have acquired green cards to work in the U.S.

Also, the report showed some 23-thousand South Koreans were naturalized by the U.S. last year, up 29 percent from 2007 and tenth overall by ethnic origin. Mexicans topped this list as well, followed by Indians, Filipinos, Chinese and then Cubans.