The number of students from interracial families is nearing 50-thousand in South Korea.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said there are some 47-thousand students from interracial families in Korea, up fivefold from 2006 when the ministry conducted its first study on the subject.

A breakdown shows interracial elementary school students number the highest at 33-thousand-800, accounting for 71 percent. Middle school students were tallied at nine-thousand-600 and high school students at three-thousand-500.

Fifteen-thousand-900 of the students have a parent from China, and eleven-thousand have a mother or father from Japan. Seven-thousand-500 students have a filipino mother or father, and three-thousand-400 students have a parent from Vietnam.