Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday that the number of South Korean families relocating from “urban areas to farming villages” reached its “highest level” last year at the time the phenomenon emerged, in response to prolonged pandemic restrictions and rising house prices. country. .
A total of 377,744 households in South Korea moved from cities to rural areas in 2021. Statistics show an increase of 5.6 percent compared to 2020, the highest rate recorded since the South Korean federal government began collecting relevant data in 2013.
“The number of people who moved to rural areas increased by 4.2 percent compared to the same period of the previous year to 515,434,” Yonhap said in a statement on June 23, basing on the official data of the Ministry of Agriculture. South Korean economy, food and agriculture. Tasks.
“The population aged 30 and under and those aged 60 and over who chose to live in agricultural villages increased by 5 percent and 16.4 percent, respectively, leading to an overall increase,” Yonhap said. .
A healthcare worker at a booth takes a sample from a man’s nose at a coronavirus testing site in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, July 6, 2021. On the left sign: “How to collect a sample for COVID-19?” (AP Photo/Ahn Young-jun)
According to the new dataset, 1,135 households in South Korea will move from urban centers to “fishing towns” in 2021. This number increased by 26.5 percent compared to 2020.
“For the first time since 2018, that number has increased since last year,” Yonhap said of the move to fishing villages.
“Amid the coronavirus pandemic and affordable housing due to rising house prices, more people seem to be looking for new job opportunities,” South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture said in a press release announcing the new statistics.
South Korea’s anti-epidemic movement and meeting restrictions have remained in effect nationwide for almost the past two years since China’s coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020. Seoul, until mid-April.
The transition team of conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was elected president at the time, convinced South Korea’s left-wing government to lift most of the curfews and restrictions remaining in mid-April. The efforts have been met with widespread relief from small business owners across the country, with many protesting the measures multiple times over the past two years as their businesses’ revenues have plummeted.
Yoon’s transition team announced on April 28 that it plans to reimburse 5.51 million small business owners across South Korea for the economic losses suffered by the previous administration’s curfews after taking office.
Yoon’s transition team leader, Ahn Chul-soo, said Yoon, who was formally sworn in as president on May 10, promised to provide “a 100-day roadmap aimed at fully compensating business owners affected by the outbreak.” . In that case.
Ahn said that in the past two years, 5.51 million small businesses have suffered losses worth about 54 trillion won ($42.4 billion) due to the pandemic, the news agency reported.
“Accurate damage calculation is essential,” Ahn told reporters on April 28. “I don’t understand why (the current government) isn’t doing this.”
Source: Breitbart
