The history of the population gap between the Yeongnam and Honam regions has garnered renewed attention after President Lee Jae-myung mentioned the disparity during the recent "Three Major Mega Projects for Korea's Great Leap Forward" event held in Gwangju.
A century ago, the population of the Yeongnam region was 830,000 higher than that of Honam. This gap widened significantly to 1.12 million before the Korean War in 1950, and further expanded to between 5 million and 7 million during the industrialization period of the 1960s and 1970s.
According to an analysis of population data from the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) as of today, July 1, the government's first census in 1925 recorded the Honam population at approximately 3.52 million and the Yeongnam population at 4.35 million, with Yeongnam having about 830,000 more residents.
After liberation, in 1949, the Honam population was approximately 5.09 million, while the Yeongnam population was 6.34 million, a difference of about 1.25 million.
In 1955, following the 1950 Korean War, the Honam population stood at approximately 5.25 million and the Yeongnam population at 7.13 million, with the gap increasing to about 1.88 million.
The population gap between the two regions widened even further during the industrialization of the 1960s and 1970s.
By 1980, the Honam population was 6.06 million, while the Yeongnam population reached 11.43 million, widening the gap to approximately 5.37 million.
In 2010, the population of Honam was approximately 4.99 million, compared to 12.70 million in Yeongnam, with the gap between the two regions stretching to about 7.7 million.
As of March 2026, the Honam population is approximately 4.88 million, while the Yeongnam population is 12.37 million, resulting in a gap of about 7.49 million.
Notably, the population growth rate in Yeongnam has been significantly higher than that of Honam since the 1960s.
This is interpreted as a result of the relatively more intense phenomenon of rural-to-urban migration, where people from Honam left their hometowns in search of jobs and opportunities during the process of industrialization and urbanization.
Previously, at the "Three Major Mega Projects for Korea's Great Leap Forward" event in Gwangju, which included the semiconductor cluster development project for the southwest region, President Lee Jae-myung reflected on the post-liberation population figures of the two regions. He stated, "I am told that the population of Yeongnam is now around 13 million, while Honam is less than 5 million," adding, "This is the result of history, where our pain and sorrow have accumulated."
He further attached historical significance to the semiconductor investment in the Honam region, saying, "I am very pleased that we can now make even a small correction," and added, "I hope this brings new hope to this region."
(Photo: Yonhap News)