Jeju Island, once a popular destination for new settlers, has experienced a higher number of people moving out than moving in. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
JEJU, Feb. 1 (Korea Bizwire) – For the first time in 14 years, Jeju Island, once a popular destination for new settlers, has experienced a higher number of people moving out than moving in.
According to Statistics Korea, last year saw 81,508 people move to Jeju, while 83,195 left, resulting in a net outflow of 1,687 people. Most of those leaving Jeju relocated to metropolitan areas such as Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon.
The reasons cited for leaving included family (1,600 people), education (1,300 people), employment (700 people), and living conditions (500 people).
Conversely, those moving to Jeju were attracted by the natural environment (1,700 people), housing (500 people), and other factors (300 people).
This marks the first net outflow of residents from Jeju since 2009. Before 2010, the number of people leaving Jeju, mainly for higher education and employment, was higher. However, a migration boom began to take shape gradually, with net inflows rising sharply to 2,343 in 2011, 4,876 in 2012, and reaching 7,823 in 2013.
The trend peaked in the mid-2010s, with over 10,000 net arrivals each year, including 11,112 in 2014, 14,257 in 2015, 14,632 in 2016, and 14,005 in 2017. However, this trend reversed sharply with net inflows dropping to 8,853 in 2018, 2,936 in 2019, and continuing to decrease in the following years, with 3,378 in 2020, 3,917 in 2021, and 3,148 in 2022.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
