hankyoreh

South Korea’s provincial towns are emptying out as the population shifts toward urban centers, according to a report, so much so that by 2030, only one out of every three South Koreans will remain in provinces away from Seoul.

According to a report released on May 22 by the National Statistical Office, 17.32 million people - or only 35.6 percent of the nation’s population of 48.64 million - will reside in regions far from Seoul, such as Gangwon Province, on Jeju Island, and in North and South Gyeongsang provinces. This figure compares with the 41.6 percent recorded in 2005.

By contrast, the population in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi and north and south Chungcheong provinces will jump to 31.31 million - or as high as 64.4 percent of the total population. This is up 11.5 percent from 28.07 million in 2005, the office said. These areas account for only 28.4 percent of the nation’s land size, which means the remaining 71.6 percent of the country’s land mass will hold just 35.6 percent of the population. This centralization of the population can be interpreted as Seoul’s expansion - which has already encompassed surrounding Gyeonggi Province - spilling over further into North and South Chuncheong provinces.

Besides this hollowing-out phenomenon seen in regions away from Seoul, the greying of the population there is likely to emerge as another challenge, as young families especially are moving to Seoul and its environs to seek better educational opportunities for their children. By 2030, about one out of three residents in South Jeolla Province and Gangwon Province will be aged 65 or older. Those aged over 65 in North Gyeongsang Province, North Jeolla Province, Busan, Daegu, and North and South Chungcheong provinces are expected to exceed the nation’s average of 24.3 percent by 2030, the office said. During the same period, the working population (those between 15 and 64) in these areas will also likely dip below 60 percent, lower than the nation’s estimated average of 64.4 percent by that year.

Experts say the continued extreme population aging in those areas away from the nation’s capital can be solved only through improvements in living conditions there. "The government is focusing on economic development in order to secure more balanced growth in central and provincial areas, but perceptions [about rural life] first need to be changed," said Moon Hyung-pyo, a senior researcher at the Korea Development Institute. "Efforts toward this should be made in a way to enhance quality of life in these regions, in areas in education, culture, and other living conditions, which will eventually result in a more balanced distribution of the population across the nation."



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