Gochang-gun, Daytime Population of 240,000... Nearly 5 Times the Registered Resident Population

Published 03 Jan.2024 10:07(KST)

The resident population of Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk, which is facing a population extinction crisis, is reported to be nearly five times the registered population, according to a government assessment.

On the 3rd, according to the county, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Statistics Korea announced that Gochang-gun's living population (based on April to June 2023) was found to be 242,247 people.

As of June last year, the registered population of Gochang-gun was 51,994. This means the living population is nearly five times the actual population.

Shim Deok-seop, the governor of Gochang County, is communicating with foreign seasonal workers.

The living population is a concept that combines the local 'registered population,' including domestic residents and registered foreigners, with the 'stay population' who stayed in the area for more than three hours a day at least once a month.

Gochang-gun's stay population was analyzed to be 188,832, with a high proportion of foreign residents. As of June last year, the foreign population in Gochang-gun was 1,421, with most in their 30s, accounting for 514 people (36.1%) by age group.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety explained, "In cases where the foreign living population is large, projects to encourage foreigner settlement or housing and welfare support projects can be promoted considering the scale and characteristics."

In fact, this year the county aims to be "the best city for foreign workers to work."

Last year, 600 foreign seasonal workers entered the county to assist with labor, and this year, the county obtained permission from the Ministry of Justice for the entry of about 1,600 foreign workers, the third highest in the country.

In March, a dormitory for foreign workers will be completed to help foreign workers live in a more comfortable and pleasant environment.

A county official said, "The foreign seasonal worker system created by Gochang-gun clearly shows that it is an alternative to overcoming the crisis faced by depopulated areas," adding, "We plan to actively use this assessment data to promote policies and discover policies to increase the living population."