Major Population Indicators Rebound, Strengthening Policy Connectivity through Establishment of Control Tower Proves Effective
Gumi City in Gyeongbuk is overcoming and addressing the phenomena of local extinction and population decline, achieving meaningful results across various indicators.
On the 6th, Gumi City announced that it showed positive changes in population indicators compared to last year and is making progress in solving low birth rates and population outflow issues.
Kim Jang-ho, Mayor of Gumi (right), is visiting the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and taking a commemorative photo with the staff. [Photo by Gumi City]
According to statistical data, the number of births in Gumi City in 2024 recorded 2,014, an increase of 6.4% compared to the previous year. This marks the first rebound in 12 years. During the same period, the number of marriages also increased by 14% to 1,705 cases.
The population decline trend has also eased, with the decrease narrowing by 85% compared to 2022, resulting in a reduction of only 686 people. The youth population aged 25 to 29, the prime working age group, saw a net inflow of 98 people from other regions (as of the end of November 2024), signaling an increase in the young population.
These achievements are attributed to the strengthening of connectivity in a virtuous cycle structure from marriage to care, education, and employment through the newly established Future Education and Care Bureau in July 2024.
To continue this trend, Gumi City plans to further solidify care and essential medical infrastructure in 2025 and gradually expand projects that received strong public support, establishing itself as a ‘City of Education and Care Nurturing the Future.’
First, support for youth employment and housing stability in the region will be strengthened. To alleviate the employment burden of an estimated 40,000 unemployed youth*, the ‘Employment Preparation Free Pass’ program implemented last year will expand its support scope. In addition to existing support such as suit rental, certification acquisition, and employment photo shooting, new support for bookstore use, hair salons, and transportation expenses will be added, expecting effects across various fields.
The newly launched ‘Vacant One-Room Resolution Youth Worker Regional Settlement Project’ will support 100 young workers living in one-room concentrated areas with a monthly rent subsidy of 100,000 KRW for up to 24 months. For youth university (graduate) students commuting to universities outside the region, such as Daegu, 50% of railway transportation costs, up to 200,000 KRW annually, will be provided in Gumi Love Gift Certificates to reduce their transportation expenses.
Policies to encourage youth marriage will also be expanded. The unmarried couple matching program ‘Dugeundugeuning’ will expand the participant age range from 29?39 to 20?39 years old, and the number of events will increase from twice a year to once per quarter. Youth workers will receive a marriage encouragement grant of up to 1 million KRW to reduce economic burdens and focus on increasing the local marriage rate.
Policies to reduce the burden of childbirth and child-rearing are also noteworthy. Starting this year, postpartum care expenses of 300,000 KRW will be provided to mothers, and the number of neonatal intensive care unit beds will be expanded from 6 to 8. To create an environment without care gaps, 24-hour village care centers and 365-day care daycare centers will be expanded, and 200 additional childcare workers will be hired to resolve waiting period issues.
Education policies to nurture local talent also stand out. Customized career design for local high school students and job training linked with local companies will be supported, and the Career and Academic Support Center will expand its regular counseling and one-on-one customized consulting. For new middle and high school students, the uniform purchase subsidy will increase from 200,000 KRW to 300,000 KRW to ease the economic burden on parents.
Gumi City is playing a leading role in overcoming low birth rates through policy establishment connected across life cycles, while simultaneously addressing the dual challenges of population outflow. In particular, it diagnoses the concentration of young women in the metropolitan area as a fundamental problem and plans to devise alternatives through population restructuring.
Through the ‘Gumi 2030 Women’s Forum’ for young women’s regional settlement, the voices of women will be actively reflected in policies, and the ‘Makeup Dream Project’ will be implemented to support training for nail art experts and content planning education.
Additionally, for young people aspiring to start businesses in the arts field, the ‘Youth Arts Startup Special Zone’ will provide startup funds, education, and consulting to help youth secure stable jobs within the region without moving to the metropolitan area.
Kim Jang-ho, Mayor of Gumi City, said, “This year is especially important to maintain and gradually expand last year’s achievements. While taking care of the livelihood economy through the opening of the Gumi Station Youth Hub, expansion of uniform support, and strengthening of youth rent support, we will continue to promote sustainable policies.”
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