New HIV infections fall for 3rd straight year, but 20s and 30s still account for 66% of cases

Newly reported HIV infections in South Korea declined for the third consecutive year through last year. People in their 20s and 30s continue to account for a disproportionately large share of new cases, and the proportion of foreign nationals among those infected is rising, underscoring the need for sustained prevention efforts and early testing.

According to the "2025 HIV/AIDS Notification Status Annual Report" released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Tuesday, 927 new HIV infections were reported last year — a 4.9 percent decrease from 975 the previous year.

New infections peaked at 1,005 in 2022 and have fallen every year since, marking three consecutive years of decline through 2025.

HIV infection and AIDS are not the same condition. A person with HIV carries the virus, while an AIDS diagnosis indicates that HIV has severely damaged the immune system, leaving the individual vulnerable to a range of infections and illnesses.

Of last year's new cases, 659 (71.1 percent) were South Korean nationals and 268 (28.9 percent) were foreign nationals. The share of foreign nationals rose 2.2 percentage points from the previous year.

By sex, 822 of the newly infected were male and 105 were female. The vast majority of male cases involved South Korean nationals (639), while among female cases, foreign nationals (84) outnumbered South Koreans.

By age group, people in their 30s accounted for the largest number at 381, followed by those in their 20s at 231 and those in their 40s at 134. In total, 66.0 percent of all new infections were concentrated among people aged 20 to 39. The figures also included 14 teenagers and 11 people aged 70 or older.

Last year also saw one reported case involving a child aged 0 to 9. The KDCA said the case involved mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.

Among the institutions that first reported new infections, hospitals and clinics accounted for the largest share at 565 cases (61.0 percent), followed by public health centers at 298 (32.1 percent). The remaining 64 cases (6.9 percent) were reported through other institutions, including correctional facilities, blood banks and the Military Manpower Administration.

Of the 529 newly infected individuals who responded to questions about transmission route, 524 (99.1 percent) said they contracted the virus through sexual contact. The remaining five cited shared use of drug injection equipment.

Among those who reported sexual contact as the route of transmission, same-sex contact accounted for the largest share at 328 cases (62.6 percent).

As of last year, 17,557 people living with HIV/AIDS were registered in South Korea, up 535 from the previous year. Of those, 2,294 were aged 65 or older — a 12.2 percent increase from a year earlier — highlighting the growing importance of managing HIV among older adults.

KDCA Commissioner Lim Seung-kwan urged the public to avoid unsafe sexual contact to prevent HIV/AIDS. "If infection is suspected, get tested promptly, and if confirmed, begin treatment immediately," he said.

The KDCA is implementing its Second National AIDS Prevention and Management Plan (2024–2028), which aims to cut new HIV infections to half the 2023 level by 2030. As part of that effort, the agency plans to expand support for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an antiretroviral drug regimen that reduces the risk of contracting the virus.

Health authorities said they will continue to strengthen prevention education and improve access to testing, noting that early diagnosis and consistent treatment are critical both to individual health and to stopping further transmission.