Sancheong-gun, Korea Rural Economic Institute Announces ... Most Active Population Reproduction

Statistics Korea Survey: Third or Later Birth Rate Ranks 8th Nationwide
Focus on Population Policies Including Living Conditions, Educational Environment, and Employment

Entrance Marker of Sancheong County Office (Photo by Sancheong County)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam Province, announced on the 5th that it ranked first nationwide in the ‘Regional Regeneration Potential Index’ category of the ‘2020 Regional Competitiveness Index’ evaluation announced by the Korea Rural Economic Institute on the 23rd of last month.

According to the institute, the ‘Regional Regeneration Potential Index’ was newly developed this time to assess the potential of each region to increase its population.

The calculation method is based on the birth rate of two or more children relative to the population ratio.

If this figure is ‘1’ or higher, it means the regional population is expected to increase; if lower, it indicates a long-term population decline.

Sancheong-gun’s index value was 2.6, the highest among 229 cities, counties, and districts nationwide.

Sancheong-gun had previously been classified as a high-risk area for population extinction with a disappearance risk index of only 0.168. However, it ranked first among all cities, counties, and districts nationwide in the Regional Regeneration Potential Index.

In fact, according to the ‘2019 Birth Statistics’ announced by Statistics Korea last year, the proportion of births of third children or more in Sancheong-gun was 20%, ranking eighth nationwide. The total fertility rate was also 27th nationwide and second highest within Gyeongnam Province.

Since last year, the county has been promoting various policies through the revision of the ‘Population Policy Ordinance,’ including ▲support of 100,000 to 300,000 KRW for incoming households ▲marriage encouragement money of 4 million KRW (paid in four installments) ▲300,000 KRW for workers moving into companies ▲300,000 KRW for incoming students ▲300,000 KRW for university students from multi-child families ▲and incentives for companies contributing to population increase.

Along with the childbirth encouragement fund system, the county is implementing various support measures for pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare, such as ▲local government projects for maternal and newborn health care support ▲celebration goods for childbirth and pregnancy, and support for prenatal vitamins.

Lee Jae-geun, the mayor of Sancheong-gun, emphasized, “Our county is currently implementing various population increase policies,” adding, “We are improving the childcare environment by switching and expanding the childbirth encouragement fund to a monthly payment system and operating all daycare centers in the county as public facilities.”

He also stated, “We will attract population inflow through fostering the anti-aging industry, which is Gyeongnam Province’s future growth engine, and attracting companies to the Oriental Medicine Pharmaceutical Industrial Complex, not only in Sancheong but throughout Gyeongnam.” He added, “We are also promoting housing construction projects with LH for 150 households in Sancheong-eup and 82 households in Sinan-myeon to improve residential conditions.”