2332 People Disappeared in One Year... Daegu Nam-gu Office Establishes First Local Government 'Population Policy Bureau' as a Special Measure

Operation to Increase Population Launched with 150 Billion Won Investment

Nam-gu, Daegu City (District Mayor Jo Jae-gu) announced on the 26th that it will implement special measures to overcome the local government’s population extinction crisis early in response to the deepening population decline, regional aging, and the crisis of local universities.

Jo Jae-gu, Mayor of Nam-gu, Daegu, instructed the preparation of special measures to respond to the population crisis at the executive meeting in January. Following the formation of a population policy TF team, expert forums, and advisory meetings, the agenda of creating a living population of 500,000 was adopted. To systematically achieve a resident population of 200,000 and a transient population of 300,000, the ‘Mujigae Project’ was established with 21 action tasks across 7 major areas.

Joaegoo Jo, Mayor of Nam-gu District Office in Daegu, is announcing a special countermeasure for population policy.

The ‘Mujigae Project’ is a comprehensive population policy service system that promises to take responsibility for seven types of care?from marriage, pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, housing, to employment?for those living in Nam-gu, Daegu.

The main contents of this project include the establishment of the first-ever Population Policy Bureau among local governments nationwide and the focused investment of 150 billion KRW in finances over the next 10 years. It also includes support for housing purchase and lease loan interest for newlywed couples with multiple children, a Nam-gu style high-quality rental housing project, formation of cooperative bodies with local universities, creation of a regionally tailored integrated support center for marriage, childbirth, and childcare, and the establishment of a cultural tourism job platform.

Nam-gu plans to establish the ‘Population Policy Bureau’ in July this year, the first among local governments nationwide. The newly established Population Policy Bureau will serve as a control tower that diagnoses local needs and devises optimal measures, coordinating collaboration across various sectors and promoting the ‘Mujigae Project,’ a comprehensive population policy service system.

Furthermore, determined to respond to the population crisis, Nam-gu will add 50 billion KRW from the Local Extinction Response Fund, which has been allocated since 2022, to the 100 billion KRW accumulated in the Integrated Stabilization Fund, concentrating a long-term budget of 150 billion KRW over the next 10 years.

With the reconstruction and redevelopment projects that have been prioritized, 8,000 households are expected to move in by 2026. To resolve unsold housing early and increase the resident population, interest support on housing purchase and lease loans will be provided to newlywed couples with multiple children within an annual limit of 10 billion KRW, ensuring population sustainability.

Nam-gu’s high-quality rental housing project, a representative example of its housing policy for low-income residents, and the formation of cooperative bodies with local universities?leveraging the high proportion of youth and many universities?will be implemented. Additionally, the construction of the new ‘Cafe Masil’ at the aging foothills of Apsan will create an integrated hub for marriage, childbirth, and childcare.

Jo Jae-gu, Mayor of Nam-gu, Daegu, stated, “Cash handouts by local governments have limitations and impose burdens on future generations, so they were not considered. Looking ahead to a vibrant future for Nam-gu over the next 10 years, we have reorganized the administration and made a bold decision to invest a large-scale long-term budget. Therefore, we will make this year the first year of population vitality in Nam-gu and mobilize all district government capabilities based on the established population policies.”

The population of Nam-gu, Daegu, decreased by 2,332 from 141,519 at the end of December 2022 to 139,187 at the end of December 2023, and has already decreased by 707 in just two months this year.