멈춰선 세종시 인구…모태 조치원은 '비명'

Sejong Special Self-Governing City is on its way to becoming the administrative capital of the Republic of Korea. The population, which was around 110,000 when the city was launched, has nearly quadrupled to around 400,000 in the past 13 years. However, the pace of growth tells a different story. The explosive growth of 50,000 people per year has slowed significantly since 2020, and even decreased slightly this year. With a decline in new apartment supply and the absence of additional relocations of public institutions, the population has effectively stagnated. [Standup] Reporter Kim Hu-soon / [email protected] "The bigger problem is the imbalance within the city. While the new downtown area, Happy City, has stagnated, the situation in the original downtown area, Jochiwon-eup, is reaching a critical level." Ten years ago, in 2016, Jochiwon-eup's population was around 47,000, accounting for nearly 20% of Sejong City's total. However, as of the end of last year, Jochiwon's population had plummeted to around 42,000. Its share of the city's total was barely 10%, nearly halving. This appears to be due to the recent exodus of population from the new city of Haengbok City to nearby Osong in North Chungcheong Province. [Kim Gwang-woon / Sejong City Council Member (Jochiwon District)] ("In Osong, near Jochiwon, over 10,000 apartments were built as 10-year leases rather than for sale. As a result, young people are moving to Osong due to the relatively low rents and convenient transportation." The situation is even more dire in the northern townships. As of the end of 2021, the population of Jeonui, Jeondong, and Sojeong townships had decreased by 12.9% over four years, from around 11,000. As concerns about the region's decline due to population decline grow, calls for countermeasures are growing, particularly in the political arena. [Kim Hak-seo / Sejong City Council Member (Jeonui, Jeondong, Sojeong-myeon District)] "This isn't a simple decline; it's a collapse. The population of towns and townships is being sucked into the black hole of the new city center. Young people are leaving, leaving only elderly people and empty homes." While efforts are being made to develop various industrial complexes, particularly in the northern region, it's not enough to stop the exodus. Sejong City, facing the double whammy of slowing growth and the disappearance of its original downtown area as its population approaches 400,000, It's urgent to find a solution for balanced regional development. This is Kim Hu-soon with B tv News. [Anchor] Thus, not only the stagnant population of Sejong City but also the declining population of the northern region are expected to be major issues in the upcoming June 3 local elections. So, let's hear from Sejong City Councilor Kim Gwang-woon, whose district includes Jochiwon-eup, about how he views the current situation and what solutions local residents hope for. [Interview] Kim Gwang-woon / Sejong City Councilor (Jochiwon District) Q. What is the main reason for the population decline in Jochiwon-eup? "The main reason is that, even in Jochiwon, apartment complexes were sold about three years ago and have remained largely unsold. If development around the station, such as a complex shopping mall, or the mayor's campaign promise to address the (city hall) branch office issue, had been addressed, the population would have stagnated or even seen a slight increase. But since that's barely happening, the growth rate has slowed and turned into a decline... It's not a slight decrease, but a significant decline. It's a difficult situation." Q. What do residents want for the development of the northern region? "First and foremost, we need to break away from the boring city life, like building complex shopping malls. Second, the development of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway and the CTX (Chungcheong Area Express Railway) will necessitate the development of station areas. Next, we need to revitalize the stagnant northern cities through redevelopment projects. I believe it's time to reorganize." Q. Do you have any suggestions for the development of the northern region? "There's a 7,000-unit Jochiwon district (public housing district development project) being promoted by LH. We need to completely withdraw this and attract complex shopping malls, technical high schools, polytechnic universities, and athletic high schools. Then, we need to attract commercial facilities, accommodations, and entertainment facilities that aren't available in new towns. No matter what city you go to, if there's nothing to do, people won't flock there. Absolutely... If people are going to flock there and the economy is going to recover, we need a new, groundbreaking solution. That's what Jochiwon residents want. In particular, I believe LH must withdraw the 7,000-unit project, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport must also withdraw it, and the project must be transformed into a private-se...