[The Editors' Verdict] A Country Where 'Outbound' Childbirth, Education, and Healthcare Have Become the Norm

Tongyeong-si, Gyeongnam Province. A city boasting scenery so beautiful it is called the "Napoli of Korea." In February last year, Tongyeong-si was thrown into turmoil. Among the four hospitals in the city providing obstetric care, J Obstetrics and Gynecology?the only one that handled childbirth and postpartum care?faced closure due to a sharp decline in births, according to local media reports.

Tongyeong-si, established in 1995 as a combined urban-rural city by merging the former Chungmu City and Tongyeong County, covers an area of 240.2 km². This is slightly smaller than Goyang-si in Gyeonggi-do, which includes the Ilsan New Town. If a hospital for childbirth disappears in such a large area, residents would have to travel to other cities for childbirth. Recently, the Ministry of Health and Welfare selected this hospital as a "Maternity Vulnerable Area Obstetrics and Gynecology Support" target, allowing Tongyeong-si to narrowly escape the crisis of becoming a city where childbirth is impossible.

This is not just a story about Tongyeong. Although the degree varies, this is a reality faced by most small and medium-sized local cities. In Gyeongnam Province alone, there are reportedly 13 cities and counties vulnerable to childbirth. Three urgent local governments, including Tongyeong, Miryang, and Sacheon, are among them. In Uiryeong, Hamyang, and Goseong counties, there are no medical institutions capable of providing obstetric care at all.

The crisis caused by population decline in local areas does not stop at childbirth. When school vacations begin, a short-term rental market for one to two months opens up around Daechi-dong in Seoul. This seasonal phenomenon occurs as out-of-town students flock to the "number one academy district" to attend lectures. While local areas do have academies, the reality is that students pay not only considerable academy fees but also accommodation costs to obtain more extensive entrance exam information.

The local education circulation system?where children are born, attend elementary, middle, and high school, and then graduate from university within the region?has long been broken. Even local private universities and regional national universities, which once absorbed a certain number of local talents, now face existential challenges.

The elderly are no different. "Health" is the most important living condition for retirees. However, the gap in medical services between the metropolitan area and local regions is widening. Even general hospitals in relatively well-known local metropolitan cities are losing competitiveness due to outdated equipment and a shortage of quality medical staff. The situation is even more severe for serious illnesses. Many cancer patients travel to large hospitals in Seoul despite their poor health. An acquaintance of the reporter was diagnosed with cancer at a local university hospital but ultimately spent several years commuting by KTX to Seoul for treatment.

"What if I lived here?" This is a thought that crosses one's mind when discovering a scenic spot during a trip to the provinces. However, those who hear this often respond with a scolding, "Don't even dream about it. Just try living here for a month." To exaggerate slightly, the reality is that almost everything?childbirth, education, medical care?depends on traveling to Seoul.

In 2006, a movie that caused a stir in Japan was released. "Japan Sinks (日本沈沒)." It depicts a massive earthquake exceeding magnitude 10 in Suruga Bay, located on the Pacific coast of Honshu in Shizuoka Prefecture, threatening to submerge the archipelago underwater. Perhaps South Korea is also facing a sinking crisis?not a physical sinking due to ground subsidence, but the sinking of local living areas caused by population extinction. At some point, we may face a reality where local areas are empty, and only the metropolitan area is densely populated. Population decline and local extinction are national issues that the government must tackle with all its might.