Boryeong City in South Chungcheong Province has launched a full-scale effort to locate the so-called "hidden population"?those who actually reside in the city but have not officially registered their address?aiming to overcome the crisis of population decline caused by low birth rates and an aging society.
According to the city on the 28th, on the 26th, Deputy Mayor Jang Jinwon led a team to visit Korea Midland Power headquarters and SNSINC, two of more than 20 institutions and organizations in the area with more than 50 full-time employees.
During these visits, the city held meetings with company executives, promoted the various citizen benefits available to those who register as residents in Boryeong, and requested active encouragement for employees to transfer their residency.
The companies also agreed on the necessity of population recovery and announced plans to actively implement policies to encourage employee registration, including providing their own incentives to new and unregistered staff.
In particular, since last year, the city has been providing incentive bonuses to employees of organizations who maintain their registered address for more than six months after moving in. Korea Midland Power and the Boryeong Office of Education have already received such incentives.
The city does not view the population decline as merely an administrative statistical issue, but as a serious crisis affecting the entire society, including the local economy, employment, and education.
In fact, the rapid population decrease in Boryeong over the past three years has accelerated, driven by the "population dead cross" phenomenon?where the number of deaths exceeds births?and changes in industrial structure such as the coal phase-out policy.
Accordingly, the city is working to improve residential conditions not only by offering relocation benefits but also by expanding support for childbirth, childcare, families with multiple children, and youth policies.
Deputy Mayor Jang Jinwon emphasized, "Boryeong is a tourist city visited by more than 550,000 people every month, but the actual decrease in registered residents significantly impacts our finances, economy, and ability to secure national and provincial funding. As companies are key to job creation, the city will spare no effort in providing the maximum possible support needed by businesses."
Boryeong City plans to continue collaborating with companies and institutions to implement a variety of policies aimed at population recovery.
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