All 15 cities and counties in North Gyeongsang Province designated as depopulation areas have retained their status following a redesignation review by the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the provincial government announced Thursday.
Yecheon-gun and Chilgok-gun were newly added to the list of depopulation-watch areas.
Gimcheon retained its existing depopulation-watch designation, while Gyeongju was removed from the watch list and reclassified under a new "population vitality-plus" category.
The depopulation area designation system identifies localities at risk of regional extinction due to population decline and links them to a local extinction response fund, administrative and fiscal exemptions, and central government support projects. It is designed to help communities take the lead in addressing population loss and regional decline. The latest redesignation came five years after the initial designations in 2021.
The "population vitality-plus" category was introduced this cycle to ensure continuity of support for areas that have shown improvement, allowing them to sustain their recovery. Gyeongju will accordingly continue to receive existing support for the next five years.
The provincial government is drawing up a basic plan for responding to depopulation in North Gyeongsang Province covering 2027 to 2031.
For Yecheon-gun and Chilgok-gun, the province said it will confirm what support measures apply under the government's follow-up actions and consult with each county on a response tailored to its local conditions.
"Because the nature of population decline and the support needed differ from place to place, it is important to respond in ways that fit each city and county's circumstances," said Lee Sang-su, director of the local government strategy bureau at North Gyeongsang Province. "We will work with cities and counties to improve employment conditions and living environments, and push for institutional reforms that residents need in their daily lives."
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