Three areas, including Geumjeong-gu in Busan, Dongducheon-si in Gyeonggi Province, and Tongyeong-si in South Gyeongsang Province, have been newly designated as population-declining regions.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) announced that it is redesignating a total of 92 areas as population-declining regions, including these three.

This marks the first redesignation in five years since 89 cities, counties, and districts nationwide were initially designated as population-declining regions in 2021.

The population-declining region designation is a system designed to support regions facing the risk of local extinction due to population decline by linking them with the local extinction response fund, administrative and financial privileges, and support projects from central government ministries, enabling regions to proactively respond to population decline and local extinction.

The 92 cities, counties, and districts newly designated as population-declining regions include the existing 89 areas—such as Gangjin-gun and Goheung-gun in South Jeolla Province, Dong-gu in Busan, Gunwi-gun in Daegu, Ganghwa-gun in Incheon, Gapyeong-gun in Gyeonggi Province, Goseong-gun and Samcheok-si in Gangwondo, Goesan-gun in North Chungcheong Province, Gongju-si in South Chungcheong Province, Gochang-gun in North Jeolla Province, Goryeong-gun and Mungyeong-si in North Gyeongsang Province, and Geochang-gun in South Gyeongsang Province—along with the three newly added areas: Geumjeong-gu in Busan, Dongducheon-si, and Tongyeong-si.

MOIS comprehensively considered not only population size trends but also regional living conditions and economic vitality as criteria for redesignating population-declining regions.

Among the redesignating population-declining regions, three areas—Yeonggwang-gun in South Jeolla Province, Dong-gu in Busan, and Seo-gu in Daegu—whose population conditions have improved since their initial designation, have been classified as "Population Vitality Plus Regions" and will continue to receive existing support for the next five years to maintain stable recovery.

This takes into consideration that abruptly cutting off support solely based on statistical improvements could weaken ongoing projects and the momentum of regional recovery.

Categorized by city and province, South Jeolla Province had the highest number of population-declining regions with 16.

There are 15 in North Gyeongsang Province, 12 each in South Gyeongsang Province and Gangwondo, 10 in North Jeolla Province, 9 in South Chungcheong Province, 6 in North Chungcheong Province, 4 in Busan, 3 each in Gyeonggi Province and Daegu, and 2 in Incheon.

Along with population-declining regions, MOIS also redesignated 18 population-interest regions, which face a high risk of population decline.

Population-interest regions refer to the top 18 cities, counties, and districts with high population decline indices calculated during the initial designation of population-declining regions in 2021, excluding actual population-declining regions.

Once again, 18 cities, counties, and districts nationwide have been designated as population-interest regions.

Busan Geumjeong-gu, Dongducheon-si, and Tongyeong-si, which were previously population-interest regions, were incorporated and designated as population-declining regions, while three new areas—Busan Buk-gu, Yecheon-gun in North Gyeongsang Province, and Chilgok-gun in North Gyeongsang Province—were newly designated as population-interest regions.

Nine areas whose conditions have improved since being designated as population-interest regions in 2025, such as Dong-gu in South Jeolla Province, have similarly been classified as "Population Vitality Plus Regions" to maintain current support for five years.

MOIS will allocate 6 billion won each from this year's local extinction response fund to Busan Geumjeong-gu, Dongducheon-si, and Tongyeong-si, which have been newly incorporated as population-declining regions.

These regions will receive the base amount without evaluation because they did not submit business plans.

Busan Buk-gu, Yecheon-gun in North Gyeongsang Province, and Chilgok-gun in North Gyeongsang Province, newly designated as population-interest regions, will be allocated 1.5 billion won each.

Starting next year, newly designated regions will receive fund allocations through business plan evaluations, just like existing regions.

MOIS calculated the population vitality index using a total of nine indicators by adding indicators showing regional vitality—such as urbanization rate, number of employed persons, and resident population—to existing indicators including average annual population growth rate, aging and youth ratios, crude birth rate, net youth migration rate, and financial independence rate.

The ministry explained that regional rankings were determined based on the population vitality index calculated by applying weights to each indicator, and population-declining regions were selected based on the "inflection point" where the index deteriorates sharply.

However, the population vitality indices and rankings for each region will not be made public.

MOIS cited the "stigma effect," such as regions being perceived as underdeveloped if rankings are disclosed, as the reason for non-disclosure.

Jin Myung-ki, head of the Local Autonomy Innovation Office at MOIS, explained, "Because this is the result of synthesizing nine indicators and applying weights, it is difficult to uniformly state that a region was included in population-declining regions because something worsened or changed to a population vitality region because something improved."

For population-declining and interest regions, MOIS actively supports regions in planning and promoting projects on their own based on response strategies tailored to regional conditions and characteristics from a mid- to long-term perspective.

In addition, the 1 trillion won annual local extinction response fund established to counter the population decline crisis will be allocated focusing on effective projects that citizens can actually experience.

The ministry plans to move away from simple hardware-centered facility expansion and organically link facilities and content to induce substantive internal regional activities and enhance regional vitality.

Special exceptions for population-declining and interest regions will also be continuously expanded and supplemented.

Currently, 44 special exceptions and tax exceptions under the Special Act on Support for Population-Declining Regions are in operation, and the ministry decided to continue discovering effective special exceptions that further enhance the perceived benefits for local residents and businesses.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung stated during a briefing held at the Government Complex-Seoul today (7th), "Going forward, we will concentrate pan-governmental support tailored to regional conditions in population-declining regions, and support Population Vitality Plus Regions so that the hard-won momentum of recovery is not cut off, allowing regions to generate vitality and grow on their own."

(Photo: Yonhap News)