South Korea redesignates 92 municipalities as population decline areas

South Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety has redesignated 92 municipalities as population decline areas, marking the first such reassessment in five years. The new designation incorporates updated metrics, including urbanization rates, employment numbers, and living population indicators, to more accurately reflect regional economic vitality.

In the Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daegu regions, 15 and 3 municipalities respectively were designated as population decline areas. Notably, Yecheon and Chilgok counties have been newly classified as “population decline concern areas.” Meanwhile, Daegu's Seo-gu has been categorized as a “population vitality plus area” due to improved demographic conditions, ensuring it maintains existing administrative and financial support for the next five years to sustain its recovery.

In the Seoul metropolitan area, Dongducheon has been newly added to the list, increasing the total number of designated areas in the Gyeonggi and Incheon regions to five. The government plans to utilize an annual Local Extinction Response Fund of approximately 1 trillion won to improve residential conditions, focusing on integrated investments in housing, income, and childcare rather than simple facility construction.