Province Establishes ‘2025 Population Decline Area Response Plan’
Improving Living Conditions... 3 Main Goals and 34 Detailed Projects
Attracting Promising Companies Through ‘Opportunity Development Special Zone’ Designation
Supporting Sustainable Growth in Population Decline Areas
Gyeonggi Province has established the ‘2025 Gyeonggi Province Population Decline Area Response Implementation Plan’ worth 76 billion KRW and will actively respond to population decline, focusing on Gapyeong-gun and Yeoncheon-gun.
On the 7th, Gyeonggi Province announced that it will implement 34 detailed projects centered on expanding the living population, creating local jobs, and improving residential environments in Gapyeong-gun and Yeoncheon-gun, which have been designated as population decline areas. This plan adopts the vision of ‘A Better Opportunity Gyeonggi for Sustainable Development of Population Decline Areas’ and is an annually established execution plan based on a five-year basic plan.
Gapyeong-gun will strengthen its tourism infrastructure through projects such as the creation of the US-UK Commonwealth Tourism Security Park, while Yeoncheon-gun will enhance tourism by installing a complex rest area on the abandoned Gyeongwon Line railway site. In particular, Gapyeong-gun is considered a representative success case, having surpassed a living population of one million by utilizing its natural and cultural assets such as Cheongpyeong Lake, Myeongji Mountain, Jarasum Jazz Festival, and Music Village.
The plan to expand local jobs also draws attention.
Gyeonggi Province will expand support for production, distribution, processing, and promotion targeting agricultural organizations, while Gapyeong-gun will support commercialization and rental fees for young entrepreneurs. Yeoncheon-gun plans to establish a multipurpose complex facility that includes residential and shared spaces for youth. Yeoncheon-gun intends to attract and settle young people by providing housing and shared spaces through this multipurpose facility.
Additionally, efforts will be made to attract companies and create jobs in the northern Gyeonggi region through the promotion of the designation of a ‘Opportunity Development Special Zone.’
Efforts will also be made to improve the residential environment.
Gyeonggi Province will expand infrastructure such as road network maintenance, expansion and paving of rural roads, and water purification plant expansion, and plans to create family-friendly environments including national and public daycare centers, comprehensive childcare support centers, and playground facilities. Furthermore, various projects aimed at improving residents’ quality of life, such as reinforcing equipment at rural health centers and improving park environments, are included.
Seong In-jae, Gyeonggi Province’s Balanced Development Officer, said, “Population decline areas have long suffered from inconvenient living conditions and insufficient infrastructure, and difficulties have been exacerbated by the outflow of young people due to job issues. As Gapyeong-gun has been designated as a border area, marking a new turning point for regional development, we will support sustainable growth through tailored policies including the designation of an Opportunity Development Special Zone in northern Gyeonggi.”
Gyeonggi Province plans to systematically implement this plan and focus on securing the Local Extinction Response Fund to enable more resources to be invested in 2026. In addition, through cooperation with the government, it will discover and apply special systems and continue to respond to population decline from a long-term perspective.
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