[Provided by Sokcho City]
[Provided by Sokcho City]

Mayor Lee Byeong-seon said the high living population figure shows that "Sokcho's appeal is in fact translating into tourism, lifestyle and extended stays."

Sokcho's average monthly "living population" — a metric that counts not only registered residents but also visitors who spend time in the area — reached 716,000 in the first quarter of 2026, the second-highest among the 16 cities and counties in Gangwon Province tracked by the statistic.

The figure also rose from the same period last year, reaffirming the city's vitality as driven by visitors and temporary residents rather than its permanent population alone.

The Ministry of Statistics released the first-quarter living population figures on July 30, and the city's analysis found Sokcho's average monthly count at 716,095 — up 13,033, or about 1.9 percent, from 703,062 in the same period last year.

Within Gangwon Province, Gangneung led all cities and counties with a monthly average of about 1.15 million, followed by Sokcho at 716,095. Hongcheon-gun ranked third at 517,364 and Pyeongchang-gun fourth at 499,925. Sokcho held the No. 2 position in the province for the second consecutive year, having ranked the same in the first quarter of last year.

Growth was broad-based across age groups. Among those 70 and older, the living population rose 11.2 percent from a year earlier, while those in their 60s increased 5.8 percent and those under 20 grew 3.6 percent. The 30-to-50 age bracket posted gains of between 0.9 and 1.6 percent. The simultaneous increase among those under 20 and those in their 30s and 40s reflects Sokcho's strong appeal to family visitors.

Sokcho's first-quarter average was roughly double the provincial mean of about 356,000 across the 16 tracked areas. The living population includes not only registered residents but also anyone who spends a qualifying amount of time in the area, making the figure a strong indicator of the city's real-world vitality generated through tourism, visits and extended stays.

The living population metric counts registered residents alongside people who visit an area at least once a month and stay for three or more hours per day — for purposes such as commuting, studying or tourism — as well as registered foreign nationals. It is increasingly used as a key indicator of actual activity levels and visitor demand in an era of declining permanent populations.


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