Gokseong-gun Hosts Population Education Inviting National Assembly Member Lee Gae-ho

Published 14 Sep.2023 16:03(KST)

- Special Lecture on Gokseong-gun's Tasks to Overcome Local Extinction

Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Lee Sang-cheol) announced that on the 13th, they invited National Assembly member Lee Gae-ho to conduct a staff population education session under the theme "Challenges for Gokseong-gun to Overcome Local Extinction."

This lecture was organized to help public officials, who are facing an era of low birth rates and aging population, gain a deeper understanding of population decline and local extinction issues, and to develop the capacity to respond accordingly.

[Photo by Gokseong-gun]

National Assembly member Lee Gae-ho gave a lecture on the definition and understanding of local extinction, perspectives on population decline, examples of regional policies to prevent local extinction, and policy alternatives to protect our hometown, under the theme of challenges to overcome local extinction.

Through the lecture, Assemblyman Lee pointed out the problems of population decline, the resulting increase in the elderly population, and the growing burden on local finances. He emphasized that this phenomenon leads to a vicious cycle of the collapse of commercial districts and local communities.

He also cited overseas examples, mentioning the retirement complex housing in the United States and the flexible residency system in the EU. Additionally, he introduced the example of Japan’s "Vacant House Bank," where local governments purchase vacant houses and utilize them for lodging purposes, highlighting that expanding the resident and related populations is a key to regional revitalization. He also discussed strategies to attract tourists and visiting populations by leveraging the unique characteristics of the region and ways to strengthen the connectivity between outsiders and the local community.

Finally, Assemblyman Lee added, "It is urgent to implement policies that activate not only the resident population but also the staying and related populations, moving beyond a perspective focused solely on residents."

Gokseong-gun Governor Lee Sang-cheol said, "Through this education, I hope that the staff will take an interest in population decline and local extinction, and that it will be a good opportunity for public officials to consider ways to respond to local extinction in their respective fields."