Honam and Jeju See Three Consecutive Years of Decline in Returning to Farming, Fishing, and Rural Living

Honam Statistics Office: Aging Population, Economic Downturn, and Worsening Settlement Conditions Overlap
Decline Across South Jeolla, North Jeolla, and Jeju... 70-80% Single-Person Households
Farming Area Larger Than National Average, High Proportion of Rice Paddies and Fruit Orchards
Rural Population Also Decreasing... Family and Employment Main Reasons for Moving

The number of people returning to farming, fishing, and rural living in the Honam and Jeju regions has declined for three consecutive years. This trend appears to be the result of a combination of factors, including an aging population, economic downturn, and worsening settlement conditions.

Goheung County participated in the "2025 Returning to Farming, Returning to Rural Areas, and Returning to Fishing Rural Experience Expo," held for four days from the 25th to the 28th at BEXCO in Busan, conducting promotional activities to attract people returning to farming and rural living. Provided by Goheung County

According to the "2024 Status of People Returning to Farming, Fishing, and Rural Living in North Jeolla, South Jeolla, and Jeju," released by the Honam Regional Statistics Office on September 18, last year the number of people returning to farming was 1,538 in South Jeolla, 920 in North Jeolla, and 144 in Jeju. South Jeolla saw a decrease from 1,987 in 2022 and 1,803 in 2023, while North Jeolla also declined from 1,237 to 1,099 and then to 920. Jeju experienced a sharp drop from 249 to 243 and then to 144. By city and county, Haenam County in South Jeolla (123 people), Goheung County (120 people), and Namwon City in North Jeolla (105 people) had the highest numbers.

The number of households returning to farming was 1,516 in South Jeolla, 903 in North Jeolla, and 140 in Jeju, representing year-on-year decreases of 14.9%, 16.1%, and 40.7%, respectively. Most were single-person households (82.8% in South Jeolla, 81.1% in North Jeolla, and 72.9% in Jeju), and the average cultivation area was 0.36 hectares in South Jeolla and 0.40 hectares in both North Jeolla and Jeju, which is larger than the national average of 0.33 hectares. In terms of crops, rice paddies and vegetables were predominant in South Jeolla and North Jeolla, while fruit orchards accounted for a higher proportion in Jeju.

The number of people returning to fishing also declined. Last year, there were 203 in South Jeolla, 48 in North Jeolla, and 26 in Jeju. South Jeolla dropped from 311 in 2022 and 288 in 2023, while North Jeolla decreased from 114 to 74 and then to 48. In contrast, Jeju saw a slight increase from 15 to 22 and then to 26. The number of households was 194 in South Jeolla, 44 in North Jeolla, and 26 in Jeju, with single-person households accounting for 76% to 80% of the total.

The population returning to rural living also continued to decline. South Jeolla had 33,660 people, down from 37,543 in 2022 and 34,861 in 2023. North Jeolla had 18,517, a decrease from 21,157. Jeju had 10,340, declining from 11,767 and 10,690. The number of households was 27,635 in South Jeolla, 14,810 in North Jeolla, and 7,796 in Jeju, with the proportion of single-person households at 83.7% in South Jeolla, 81.2% in North Jeolla, and 76.3% in Jeju. The main reason for moving was family in South Jeolla and North Jeolla, and employment in Jeju.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.