The growing imbalance in population across regions, driven by rapid demographic shifts and increasing concentration in the capital and its environs, has become a structural threat to the sustainability of local communities. Population movement between regions is more than a simple numerical increase or decrease resulting from individual relocation; it is also the result of a complex interplay of factors, including decisions tied to key life events (such as education, employment, and marriage), the rise of multi-local living, disparities in residential conditions, and changes in community relationships. In this light, and given that the current administrative system, based on registered place of residence, may not adequately capture inter-municipal movement, there is a growing need for policy approaches that reflect multi-local living. Now is the time to gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics of population movement, develop an evidence-based assessment of the current situation, and explore policy options to improve residents’ quality of life. The May 2026 issue of the Health and Welfare Forum is organized around the theme, “A Multilayered Understanding of Regional Population Change and Its Challenges.” Our contributors this month examine the key features of regional population change and analyze the patterns of migration among young people before and after major life events. Drawing on findings from the “Survey on Perceptions of Regional Population Change and Population Policy,” which was presented at the 41st Population Forum in 2025, the articles also discuss multilocality; the perceived impact of social services delivered based on registered residence; cross-municipal disparities in residential environments; the intention to migrate; the need to enhance local living infrastructure; and intra-neighborhood relationships. We hope that this issue will contribute to a deeper understanding of regional population change and serve as a useful reference for designing policies aimed at more balanced national development.

This article aimed to draw policy implications by examining the main characteristics of regional demographic change in Korea, which has recently become a major social challenge. The key findings are summarized as follows. First, natural decline in regional populations is estimated to have begun approximately 20 years before the decline in the total population which began in 2020. Second, from a socioeconomic perspective, regional population loss is largely attributable to net out-migration, particularly among individuals in their 20s. Third, regional disparities in demographic changes―including differences in population size and age structure―are contributing to socioeconomic polarization between regions. These findings suggest that regional population decline and widening interregional disparities require more comprehensive and fundamental policy responses at the national level.

This study examines how residential mobility patterns change around key life events―such as entering college, starting employment, and getting married―among individuals aged 19-49. College entry is associated with an increased rate of relocation to Seoul and other metropolitan cities. Entry into employment is associated with higher rates of movement to Greater Seoul (Seoul and its surrounding areas), whereas first marriage is associated with a reduced likelihood of residence in Seoul and other metropolitan cities. These findings indicate that regional mobility among young people is closely linked to structural factors such as higher education, job opportunities, and housing costs, suggesting the need for policy responses that take life-course characteristics into account, including strengthening the competitiveness of regional universities, expanding job opportunities outside the capital region, and providing housing support for young people and newly married couples.

In light of increasing multi-local living, this study investigates residents’ awareness and utilization of local public assistance, as well as their acceptance of alternative institutional arrangements, such as the recognition of multiple addresses. The analysis draws on data from the “Survey of Perceptions of Local Population Change and the Perceived Impact of Local Population Policy.” The findings suggest that, although awareness of local population and welfare policies is widespread among residents, actual utilization remains limited. Respondents frequently perceived the level of public assistance available in their local areas to be lower than that provided in other municipalities. Meanwhile, multi-local living was found to shape residents’ awareness and utilization of local programs, as well as their perceptions of program effectiveness. Individuals who regularly move between two or more residences were less aware of assistance programs provided in the locality where their permanent addresses were registered and were more likely to face constraints in accessing services tied to that location. Because the administration of local public assistance remains based on registered residence, it fails to account for the needs arising from the rise of multi-local living, leading to distortions in both access to, and perception of the effectiveness of, local government services. These findings suggest the need to consider how administrative services should be designed and delivered so that they better reflect the realities of multi-local residence.

In Korea, although internal migration is declining overall, population concentration in the Capital Region continues. These migration patterns reflect disparities in underlying factors such as regionally varying residential conditions. This study examines how residents’ life satisfaction, residential conditions, and neighborhood environments influence their intention to migrate. Life satisfaction was found to have the greatest impact on migration intention. Residential conditions―including living infrastructure, safety infrastructure, and local social cohesion―as well as access to neighborhood amenities within a 5-minute walking distance (400 m), were also significant factors. Meanwhile, many areas were found to have limited accessibility to neighborhood amenities, indicating that even basic daily conveniences are not evenly provided across regions. Notably, respondents reported a lower intention to migrate themselves but a higher intention to encourage their children and younger relatives to migrate. Future policies should therefore prioritize enhancing residents’ quality of life by improving residential conditions, particularly access to amenities within a 5-minute walking distance.