Hopeful news has emerged for Chungcheongbuk-do's Boeun County, which had been in an emergency to maintain its population of 30,000. The 'My Workplace Address Movement', which the county has been vigorously promoting since May, has shown tangible results, with the population increasing and the birth rate significantly rising in just two months. This is interpreted as a result of the collective efforts of the entire local community, beyond merely short-term relocation inducement effects.

Population Turns to Net Increase with 'Address Movement' 

According to an announcement by Boeun County on the 9th, a total of 471 people relocated to Boeun County during May and June. During the same period, the outflow population was 388, recording a net increase of 103 people. This played a decisive role in increasing Boeun County's population by 41, from 30,309 at the end of April to 30,350 at the end of June. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the number of births in the first half of this year (January to June) increased by 39.3% compared to the same period last year. The number of births, which was 28 in the first half of last year, increased to 39 this year, an increase of 11. This is analyzed as a result of the synergistic effects of various population influx policies promoted alongside the 'My Workplace Address Movement'.

Choi Jae-hyung, the Mayor of Boeun County, emphasized that "the change created by the collaboration of citizens, businesses, social organizations, and expatriates is the true power of population growth," attributing this achievement to the participation and efforts of all community members.

All-out Community Effort: From Public Officials to Businesses Participate 

Since May, Boeun County has launched a large-scale 'My Workplace Address Movement' targeting public officials, local businesses and organizations, and expatriates. For two months, Mayor Choi Jae-hyung personally visited major government offices and businesses in the region, including Boeun Police Station, Boeun Office of Education, military units, Hanwha Global Boeun Plant, and Woojin Plaim Co., Ltd., to explain the purpose of the movement and encourage active participation. This demonstrates Boeun County's commitment to fostering a sense of belonging and attachment to the region, beyond simply relocating residences.

Indeed, many businesses and institutions voluntarily encouraged their employees to relocate to Boeun County, lending support to the movement. Employees also responded positively, seeing it as a contribution to housing stability and the development of the local community. These widespread efforts became a decisive driving force for Boeun County to achieve the challenging goal of not just maintaining its population but actually increasing it.

Promoting Sustainable Population Growth Through Long-term Residential Environment Improvement 

Boeun County has not rested on the short-term effects of population influx but has consistently pursued policies to improve the overall residential environment and quality of life from a long-term perspective. Key policies implemented so far include:

Relocation Incentives and Additional Support: Providing incentives to relocating households, with additional support for multi-child families to alleviate financial burdens.
Incentives for Relocation Contributors and Contributing Organizations/Businesses: Offering incentives to individuals, organizations, and businesses that contribute to attracting new residents, encouraging active participation.
Moving Cost Support: Assisting with moving expenses incurred upon relocation to reduce initial settlement burdens.
Life Cycle-Specific Customized Support: Strengthening housing support, childcare, and upbringing support for youth, newlyweds, and birthing families.
Support for Returning Farmers and Rural Settlers: Aiding returning farmers and rural settlers in stable settlement through support for agricultural machinery, farming materials, and settlement funds.
As an extension of these efforts, Boeun County plans to continue implementing six major population influx activities until 2030, including "public officials having their workplace address" and "one public official inducing one person to relocate."

Mayor Choi expressed his ambition to "make Boeun not just a place to live, but an attractive region where people want to live and return to." This presents a long-term vision of enhancing the quality of life across various aspects such as jobs, education, childcare, and culture, so that local residents feel true pride and outsiders are attracted to come voluntarily.

Boeun County's successful population increase provides significant implications for other local governments struggling with population decline. It teaches the lesson that true population growth can be expected only when the entire community's capabilities are rallied and efforts to improve the quality of life from a long-term perspective are accompanied, beyond merely listing population influx policies.

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