Internal Migration in South Korea

Abstract

With a population of 51.7 million, South Korea is a highly urbanised, advanced economy. Internal migration data have been collected by Population Census and Population Register since the mid-twentieth century. South Korea is one of the world’s most mobile countries with 14.1% changing address in 2018; migration intensity has declined since 1975. Koreans display a late migration profile, peaking between 25–29 years for both sexes. This age profile has become more dispersed, reflecting increasing complexity in the life course of young Koreans. With >80% living in cities, South Korea is at a late stage in the urban transition, dominated by inter-urban migration. Despite high migration intensities, population redistribution is moderate due to low migration effectiveness, with <0.5% of the population redistributed between provinces in 2018. Spatial patterns have changed dramatically. Rapid industrialization from the mid-1960s to 1970s triggered large migration streams to Seoul. Recently, the migration system has been characterised by suburbanisation and flows to new cities like Sejong. South Korea exemplifies the role of government in directing internal migration through decentralisation of government services and infrastructure, promotion of economic development in small and medium cities, and development of transport infrastructure.