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About half of cities, counties, and districts are at risk of extinction

About half of cities, counties, and districts are at risk of extinction

Posted April. 30, 2022 07:20,   

Updated April. 30, 2022 07:20

한국어

About half of cities, counties, and districts around the country are at risk of disappearing, according to an analysis. In particular, Tongyeong City in South Gyeongsang Province and Gunsan City in North Jeolla Province, where the manufacturing industry has faltered recently, were included in the list of areas with a high risk of extinction for the first time.

According to the spring issue of “Regional Industry and Employment” published by the Korea Employment Information Service on Friday, 113 (49.6%) of 228 cities, counties, and districts around the country based on resident registration demographics in March were at risk of extinction. The number was 80 in 2015 and 102 in 2020.

The areas with a high risk of extinction are defined using extinction risk index, which is a value obtained by dividing the female population aged 20-39 in the region by the population aged 65 or older. If the value is less than 0.5, the risk of extinction increases because the elderly population is twice that of reproductive women.

The state agency cited the decline of the manufacturing industry as the main cause of extinction. Tongyeong and Gunsan, which have been newly added to the list, bore the brunt of the recession in the automobile and shipbuilding industries. Back in 2018, the two cities were designated as employment crisis areas and special industrial crisis response areas.

“A drop in employment in the manufacturing industry in the traditional industrial cities in the Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions, including shipbuilding cities has led to increased risk of extinction in the provincial areas,” said Lee Sang-ho, head of the job eval‎uation center under the KEIS. “Since the outflow of the youth population means the collapse of human capital, it also threatens the future sustainability of the region.”

Pocheon City and Dongducheon City in Gyeonggi Province have also been classified as areas with a high risk of extinction. Sokcho City in Gangwon Province, Chungju in North Chungcheong Province, Dangjin City and Seosan City in North Chungcheong Province, Iksan City in North Jeolla Province and Yeosu City and Naju City in South Jeolla Province are also experiencing increased risk of extinction.

For the first time this year, there were no areas with a low risk of extinction in the country. In a 2020 analysis, there were five areas with a low risk of extinction, including Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province.


Sung-Min Park min@donga.com