Seoul
South Korea has reported an increase in the transient population in areas experiencing population decline, according to data from the country’s statistical office released on Wednesday.
In June, the total “living population”—which includes registered residents, foreigners, and transient individuals—reached 28,477,000 in 89 depopulated regions. This figure marks a 14 percent increase from the previous quarter. The transient population refers to individuals who stay in these areas for more than three hours a day at least once a month, even if they are not registered residents.
Statistics Korea compiled this data using information from local and foreign residents provided by the interior and justice ministries, as well as data from mobile operators and credit card companies.
The number of registered residents remained relatively stable at 4,902,000 in June, with an increase in foreign residents helping to offset a decline in domestic numbers. However, the transient population surged to 23,575,000 in June, up from 20,077,000 in March. This means that the number of transient individuals was 4.8 times greater than the combined total of registered residents and foreigners in these areas, an increase from the previous ratio of 4.1.
Additionally, the average per-capita spending on plastic cards by transients in these areas was 115,000 won (approximately 83 U.S. dollars), accounting for 43.2 percent of total card usage and significantly contributing to the local economy.
