“Visitors outnumber residents”: Yangyang, Gangwon Province, has a stay population 17.6 times its registered population, while Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, nears 1 million

[Financial News]  The stay population visiting areas with declining populations was found to be 5.8 times the registered population. Yangyang County in Gangwon Province had the highest ratio in the country, with a stay population 17.6 times its registered population, while the stay population in Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, neared 1 million. Card spending by the stay population in these areas accounted for 38% of total card spending.
According to the “2026 Second-Quarter Living Population Estimates” released on the 29th by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the living population across the country’s 89 population-decline areas totaled 32.85 million in May. That was up 1.48 million from the same month last year and the highest monthly figure in the first half of the year.
The living population combines the registered population, including registered residents and registered foreign nationals, with the stay population—people who stayed for at least three hours a day, at least once a month, for purposes such as tourism, commuting or attending school. In May, the registered population was 4.86 million and the stay population was 27.99 million.

In May, Yangyang County in Gangwon Province had the highest ratio of stay population to registered population, at 17.6 times. It was followed by Gapyeong County in Gyeonggi Province at 15.6 times, Ongjin County in Incheon at 15.3 times, Goseong County in Gangwon Province at 14.9 times, and Taean County in South Chungcheong Province at 13.8 times. Yangyang also recorded the country’s highest ratio in June, at 14.5 times.
Gapyeong County in Gyeonggi Province ranked first in stay population, with 998,000. It was followed by Taean County in South Chungcheong Province with 845,000, Ganghwa County in Incheon with 726,000, Gongju City in South Chungcheong Province with 701,000, and Busan’s Dong District with 675,000.
Taean County in South Chungcheong Province recorded the biggest increase, with its living population growing by about 160,000 in May from the same month last year. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety attributed the increase to demand for travel, including spring flower festivals, beach tourism and camping, combined with a substitute holiday in May.
Spending by the stay population was also examined. In May, the stay population accounted for 38.0% of total card spending in population-decline areas.  The average share for the second quarter was 35.8%, down 1.3 percentage points from 37.1% in the same period last year. Average card spending per person in the stay population was 125,000 won in the second quarter, up from a year earlier.
Across population-decline areas by province and metropolitan city, the stay population accounted for about 28–43% of card spending; in population-decline areas within metropolitan cities, the figure was approximately 50% or higher.

The monthly living population rose from 26.68 million in April to 32.85 million in May, then fell to 26.27 million in June. The stay population also increased from 21.83 million in April to 27.99 million in May, a rise of about 6.16 million, before declining to 21.39 million in June.
Compared with the same months a year earlier, the living population increased by 1.44 million in April and 1.48 million in May, but fell by 940,000 in June. The average monthly living population for the second quarter was 28.6 million, up from 27.94 million in the same period last year.
In the second quarter, the stay population stayed an average of 3.3 days and spent an average of 11.6 hours per day in the areas. Those who stayed overnight spent an average of 3.8 days.
As of June, 14 areas had a revisit rate of 50% or higher within the preceding three months: Busan’s Seo District; Daegu’s Seo and Nam districts; Gimje in North Jeolla Province; Hwasun, Yeongam, Hampyeong and Jangseong in South Jeolla Province; Goryeong, Seongju, Yeongcheon and Uiseong in North Gyeongsang Province; and Haman and Changnyeong in South Gyeongsang Province.
Kim Min-jae, vice minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, “We confirmed that the living population reached a first-half high in May, visiting and staying in population-decline areas and bringing vitality to those regions.” He added, “We will carefully review policy directions so that the living population can be harnessed to overcome the threat of regional extinction and bring greater vitality to local communities.”

[email protected] Lee Bomi Reporter