"I Want to Leave the Complex City" 2030 Generation Choosing Farming and Rural Life Amid Employment Crisis [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

Nearly 500,000 Returned to Farming and Rural Areas Last Year... Record High for Under 30s
Severe Employment Crisis and Competitive Society Impact
Experts: "Mass Media Influence Significant... Also Rural Life Romance"

Recently, the number of young people quitting their jobs and returning to farming has been increasing. It is reported that they want to escape from various stresses caused by the intense competition in corporate life. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Pixabay

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[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Recently, Kim, a 30-something office worker, submitted his resignation letter at work. He confessed, "I have been living under constant competition since I was a student. When I was a student, I competed with friends to get into a good university, and when I worked, I competed with colleagues to gain more recognition from my boss." He added, "Now, I want to live freely, free from competition. I submitted my resignation because I want to live my life without worrying about others' eyes." He said, "I plan to move to the countryside and gradually prepare for farming."

Recently, the number of people in their 20s and 30s leaving the city for rural areas has been increasing. They are turning their attention to returning to farming and rural living due to severe employment difficulties and the pressure from competition. Among them, some young people deliberately leave the city to find jobs, focusing on the vision and development potential of agriculture. Experts analyze that young people exhausted by a competitive society have become interested in rural life.

Kang (27), a job seeker, is recently considering returning to farming. Kang said, "My parents farm in the countryside. I came up to Seoul alone to prepare for a civil service exam, but since passing is not easy, my self-esteem has dropped, and I feel sorry for my parents." He confessed, "I think it would be better to help my parents and lend a hand."

In this regard, it was found that the number of young people in their 20s and 30s heading to rural fishing and farming villages exceeded 230,000 last year. According to the '2020 Return-to-Farming, Fishing, and Rural Living Statistics' jointly announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and Statistics Korea, the number of people returning to farming, fishing, and rural living last year was 490,659, a 7.3% increase from the previous year (456,927).

A citizen is looking over job vacancy information at the Job Center. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Among them, the population in their 20s and 30s was 232,884. In other words, about 47% of the total return-to-farming, fishing, and rural living population were young people. In particular, households returning to farming under the age of 30 reached a record high. Last year, the number of farming households under 30 was 1,362, a 10.9% increase from the previous year (1,209 households).

The biggest reason they head to rural fishing and farming villages is the severe employment crisis. With the job market frozen and the COVID-19 situation prolonged, young people fell into skepticism about the future and eventually left the city.

According to Statistics Korea, the number of employed people in their 20s (ages 20-29) last year was 3,601,000, a 3.9% (146,000) decrease from the previous year. Among the economically active population, the number of 20-somethings who simply took a break was 415,000, a 25.2% (84,000) increase from the previous year, higher than those in their 30s and 40s. This means that as the job environment worsened, more young people postponed job-seeking activities.

As a result, some chose rural living to find jobs. A netizen who identified as a young person in their 20s said on an online community, "There is a shortage of labor in the countryside, so they are looking for many people," adding, "Farming work is physically tough, but it’s better than doing nothing at all."

Relatedly, young people's perception of agriculture has also changed positively. According to last year's survey on the actual conditions of return-to-farming and rural living, those under 30 cited 'the vision and development potential of agriculture' (39.1%) as the most common reason for returning to farming.

Experts analyze that young people exhausted by a competitive society choose to return to farming. Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University said, "There are various reasons why young people choose to return to farming. First, the lack of jobs due to the employment crisis, and even if they find a job, they get tired of the competitive society and eventually return to farming."

She added, "The influence of mass media is also significant. Successful celebrities leaving the bustling city for a quiet countryside are often shown in the media, creating a romanticized image of rural life."