Fewer immigrants are moving to the island from the mainland.
Nearly 1,000 people moved in every month on average last year. But the increase rate has plunged to 10 percent.
Joseph Kim reports.

As of the end of last month, the island’s population was 670,738. That was an increase of 128 from a month before.

[slug] Population growth rate slows down
Nearly 1,000 people on average relocated to Jeju every month last year.
That number dropped to around 100 this year.


In September, 89 moved to the island. It was the first month that population growth dropped below 100 since December 2009.

Jeju Population Inflow
1,084 1,022 1,252 535 378 89 128
Jan 2018 Feb Mar Oct Nov Sept 2019 October



The population in Jeju City increased to 489,089 this year. That’s an increase of 3,143 from last year.
Meanwhile, the population in Seogwipo City grew to 181,649. That’s only 404 more compared to one year before.

Jeju City Seogwipo City
485,946 489,089 181,245 181,649
3,143 404
2018 2019 2018 2019



16 (읍) eup, (면) myeon or (동) dong units saw a population drop among 26 units in Jeju City and 11 units observed a population decrease among 17 units in Seogwipo City.

16 units in Jeju City
11 units in Seogwipo City




The population of Seogwipo City has decreased since November 2018 even though there was a slight increase from February through August this year.
Notably, 138 moved out of Seogwipo last month.

Seogwipo Population Inflow & Outflow
60 113 58 29 148 127 102 138
Nov 2018 Dec Jan 2019 Feb Mar Aug Sept Oct


[slug] Number of birth drops under 5,000 in 2018
The number of births dropped to 4,781 last year in Jeju. That’s the lowest since 1981.

[Reporter] Joseph Kim
[Camera] Ko Moon-su, Park Byeong-june
[CG] So Gi-hun

The demographic cliff is likely drawing closer on the island.
Measures are urgently needed to prevent the damaging side effects derived from the phenomenon.

Joseph Kim, KCTV