The effects of Depopulation in South Korea and Rural Tourism

In recent years, K-media’s rising popularity has allowed for South Korea’s rapid growth, which in turn, has seen an increase in tourism and an overall interest in the capital city, Seoul. . In addition to being a hot spot for all things K-media, Seoul also continues to accelerate in various fields such as education, residence, and employment. Having better opportunities for people has led to young Koreans migrating to the area. As a result, the Seoul capital area has become overpopulated, now containing over 50% of South Korea’s population! Thus, leaving rural areas’ population to shrink in size as fewer young people become residents, and leaving the mostly elderly with no one to assist them.

Unfortunately this trend is not a new development as Seoul has always been a preferred area, since it was, and still is, the heart for politics, economy, and culture. Be that as it may, as more people continue to move to the urban area of Seoul, rural areas are becoming black holes as the government’s funds are continuously spent to support those still residing in these areas. What’s worse is that as the population decreases, so does the efficiency of infrastructures such as sewage systems and cultural facilities (No More Seoul Centralization: Resolve the Regional Imbalance, 2022). This is a trend that has been going on for decades and while policies have been put into place, rural areas continue to see a decline in population and resources.

Even with a large government budget, rural areas protest about low levels of social infrastructures, such as hospitals, as 37.5% of people do not have access to a general hospital within 15km of them. In addition, rural areas experience the most aging with 49.8% of rural areas’ population being over 65 years old in 2022 ( Li, W., et al). As these rural areas continue to experience lack of social infrastructures, the continuous depletion of young residents, and the aging of those who stay, the faster these areas will crumble. Government funding is not enough to convince people to stay in smaller areas instead of moving to Seoul, as Seoul is regarded as one of the only cities that is filled with countless opportunities, especially for work. In an effort to find a solution, the government is working to make these rural areas more appealing, through something called rural tourism.

Rural tourism is a form of tourism that can be used to help rural areas increase development and interest of smaller areas of those from urban areas. Rural tourism provides a relaxing environment, open spaces and traditional village charm, outdoor activities, wildlife, and beautiful natural scenery. It yields opportunities for direct participation and interaction with local activities, e.g. fruit picking, and eating at local inns. Rural tourism is focused on small-scale traditional activities and enterprises, giving you the full experience of the rural environment. As a result of rural tourism, rural areas are no longer being considered remote and difficult to access as communications improve. (Lee, J., et al).

Rural tourism often gives you the chance to explore non-tourist hot spots while also giving back to the community. Rural tourism can also promote various off-farm job opportunities as well allowing for changes in the patterns of farmers’ job holdings, job mobility and agricultural structure in the long run. Those from the city can experience traditional cooking, local specialities, and the heritage of the countryside. If more interest gets shown in rural areas then more tourists will visit, which in turn increases the income in less developed regions (Lee, D., et al).

There are many benefits when it comes to rural tourism. The most important being that it provides opportunities and income for the less wealthy people and helps smaller areas continue to develop and thrive. It also allows for the spread of regional heritage, folklore and culture, as well as bringing in a secondary income to agricultural households. With an increase in income, the money can be used to help invest in better infrastructures such as schools, medical facilities, roads, and communication services (Lee, D., et al).

Rural tourism is about helping small areas improve while also allowing those with small budgets but a lot of free-time to be able to enjoy non-city life. It’s a chance to learn more about what’s outside the city, to get a personal view of nature and taste regional food and drinks that you can’t find anywhere else. Take the opportunity to visit a rural area and experience all the beauty that they have to offer.

In the midst of Covid came a company called Planet Zoom-In whose main goal is to help those in small communities by taking tourists on social trips. These social trips would guide tourists on journeys to smaller communities such as Hamyang to interact with the locals, participating in festivals to give back to the community or stay in Seoul to help at places like a soup kitchen, a dog shelter or helping replant trees along the Han River. They have made it their goal to help rural areas continue to grow and develop by bringing awareness to their culture through these social activities. The locals appreciate seeing not only Koreans but also foreigners come and support them and enjoy all that they have to offer. It brings people closer together in a way that’s indescribable. So join Planet Zoom in the journey to making a difference across South Korea.

Lee, D., Ryu, S., & Moon, S. (1998). The Implication, Performance, and Strategy for the Rural Tourism
Development in Korea. Journal of Rural Development/Nongchon-Gyeongje, 21(1071-2019-1519), 29-48.

Lee, J. O., & Thomson, K. J. (2006). The promotion of rural tourism in Korea and other East Asia countries: policies and implementation.

Li, W., Zhang, L., Lee, I., & Gkartzios, M. (2023). Overview of Social Policies for Town and Village Development in Response to Rural Shrinkage in East Asia: The Cases of Japan, South Korea and China. Sustainability, 15(14), 10781.

No More Seoul Centralization: Resolve the Regional Imbalance. (2022, June 21). The Argus. https://www.theargus.org/news/articleView.html?idxno=2290