Net Population Influx to Seoul Metropolitan Area Set a 9-Year Record

As regional economy did not revive readily, a large population flowed into the Seoul metropolitan area.

According to the `result of population movement during the first quarter` by the National Statistical Office (NSO), 170.000 people moved into Seoul metropolitan area and 122.000 people transferred to other regions. Consequently, a net influx of 48.000 appeared, which was a gain of 10.2 percent (4.000) from last year. It is the most gain after the net influx of 51.000 in the second quarter of 1992. It is also an increase of 13.000 people (35 percent) from last year’s forth quarter.

O Byung-Tae, the director at the Population Analysis Department in the NSO, said, ``The net population has rapidly increased, not due to the increase of the immigration, rather there has been less of migration.`` ``The current trend of thought is to stay in the metro area where it would be better for business activities, due to the dwindling economy,`` he analyzed.

In the metropolitan area, 201.000 people moved into Kyungki Province, while 150.000 people transferred from that province, making a net influx of 51.000. Especially, cities of Yongin, Koyang, and Kimpo in Kyungki Province, where construction of new apartments were booming, were the places that represented the regions that demonstrated a rise in population. On the other hand, 175.000 people moved into Seoul, and 178.000 people moved out to other regions, creating a loss of 3.000 people.

Among 170.000 people who moved into the metro area during the first quarter, 20.000 people, the largest number, came from North Jeollar Province, following 20.000 (11.6 percent) from South Chungchung Province, 19.000 (11.0 percent) from Kangwon Province, and 18.000 (10.7 percent) from South Jeollar Province.

One remarkable phenomenon was the decrease of late 20s and 30s transferors. Moving of young people decreased 7.8 percent comparing with the same period of last year and 5.3 percent from the fourth quarter of last year. The NSO attributed the less migration of young people to the direct influence of the economic situation.

During the first 3 months, nationally, 2.342.000 people moved their residential registrations to new regions. It is a decrease of 3.5 percent (86.000 people), compared to the same period of last year.

Park Joong-Hyun sanjuck@donga.com