Special Report Vol. 67 (2022)

Crisis of Local Extinction and Policy Directions

Chapter I. Introduction

Chapter II. Population Change in Local Governments and Prediction of Extinction Crisis

1. Population change in local governments

2. Prospects of local extinction

Chapter III. Policies Responding to Local Extinction in Korea and Foreign Countries

1. Status and recent trends of policy in Korea

2. Recent trends of foreign countries

Chapter IV. Policy Goals and Strategies Responding to Local Extinction

1. Paradigm shift of policies responding to local extinction

2. Policy goals and strategies responding to local extinction

Chapter V. Major Policy Issues Responding to Local Extinction

1. Realization of a healthy and elegant lifestyle throughout life

2. Securement of living population by creating unique attractive spaces

3. Expansion of production, income, and good jobs based on local resources

4. Spreading a culture of coexistence through cooperation between regions

5. Strengthening of decentralization capabilities and empirical basis

Chapter VI. Conclusion

Summary

In 2020, Korea’s population peaked, and it reached population death cross status. The local population death cross has become a permanent phenomenon. Local population decline is about more than simply a decrease in population. Population decline can lead

to a serious reduction in consumption, employment, income, and supply and demand of essential services in the regions, eventually bringing about a general slowdown and collapse of the local economy. Moreover, with the collapse of the local areas, which serve as population dams with their higher birth rates than those of the metropolitan area or large cities, it will be difficult to ensure sustainable national development, not to mention national competitiveness. Therefore, national policy directions are urgently needed to overcome the crisis of local extinction. Measures to wisely respond to the new phase of population decline are necessary.