Festivals including the Sansuyu Flower Festival, the Hwaeomsa red plum blossom photo contest and the Seomjingang 300-ri Cherry Blossom Festival are credited with the achievement.
Gurye-gun in South Jeolla Province has ranked first nationwide in "active population" among population-declining regions for the third consecutive year.
Active population adds to a region's registered residents the number of people who stay there for a set period for purposes such as commuting, studying or tourism. It serves as a baseline for comparing regions and formulating population policy.
According to Gurye-gun, the Ministry of Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Statistics released the first-quarter 2026 active population results on July 31, with the county topping the national rankings for the third year running.
The results showed that Gurye-gun recorded a ratio of 15.8 times its March 2026 registered population in visiting residents, the highest active population figure among 89 cities and counties designated as population-declining areas nationwide.
Officials attributed the result primarily to the large number of tourists drawn from across the country by the county's festivals and attractions — among them the Sansuyu Flower Festival, the Hwaeomsa red plum blossom photo contest featuring the nationally designated natural monument, Cheoneunsa Temple, Saseongam Hermitage, the Pressed Flower Museum, the Seomjingang 300-ri Cherry Blossom Festival and the Seomjingang bamboo forest trail.
"Gurye-gun is continuously pursuing a stay-oriented tourism policy that draws on its beautiful natural scenery and cultural and tourism resources," county chief Jang Gil-seon said. "As accommodation, dining, traditional market visits and use of local commercial districts have increased significantly during festival periods, we are achieving two goals at the same time — expanding active population and revitalizing the local economy."
Gurye-gun was selected for a pilot basic income program for rural communities on June 10, which brought an increase of 553 residents, bringing the county's total registered population to 24,570 as of the end of June.
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