"Are We on the Same Level as Chuncheon and Wonju?" Head-Shaving and Rally... Why Inje County Was Thrown into an Uproar

Scene 1. On October 7, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety redesignated and announced the areas facing population decline for the first time in five years, aiming to respond effectively to the regional population decline crisis. Under the program, areas at risk of local extinction due to population decline are designated as areas facing population decline. The program links them to the Local Extinction Response Fund, administrative and financial special measures, and support programs from central government ministries, helping local communities take the lead in responding to population decline and local extinction.

Inje County residents hold a protest rally in front of the main gate of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 27th, opposing the county's exclusion from the designation of population-decline areas and its classification in Tier 2 of the Local Preference Index. Oct. 27, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

Interior Ministry Announces 'Regional Preferential Index'... Differentiating Benefits for Tackling Population Decline

Starting with this redesignation, areas whose population conditions have improved and which are no longer classified as areas facing population decline or areas of concern will be classified as "Population Vitality Plus Areas." Existing support will continue for the next five years to help them sustain a stable recovery. As a result, the number of designated areas changed from the 89 areas facing population decline and 18 areas of concern first designated in 2021 to 92 areas facing population decline and 18 areas of concern in 2026. Three new areas were added to the list of areas facing population decline: Geumjeong-gu, Busan; Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province; and Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. Three new Population Vitality Plus Areas were also designated: Yeonggwang County, South Jeolla Province; Dong-gu, Busan; and Seo-gu, Daegu. The number of areas facing population decline thus rose from 89 in 2021 to 92. Three new areas of concern were added: Buk-gu, Busan; Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang Province; and Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province. Nine areas were newly classified as Population Vitality Plus Areas: Dong-gu, Gwangju; Jemulpo-gu, Incheon (formerly Dong-gu); Daedeok-gu, Dong-gu, and Jung-gu in Daejeon; Gangneung and Sokcho in Gangwon Province; Inje County, Gangwon Province; and Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

Scene 2. On October 20, the Cabinet approved amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Decentralization and Balanced Development, which set out specific criteria for calculating the Regional Preferential Index and how it would be used. The index takes into account factors including distance from Seoul, regional socioeconomic indicators, and the risk of local extinction caused by population decline. Its basic design is to offer greater benefits to areas farther from Seoul while also taking into account each region's level of development. The index will be recalculated annually to reflect changes in regional conditions, and the country's 229 regions will be divided into four zones according to their index scores. The zones, from Zone 1, where preferential support is least needed, to Zone 4, where it is most needed, will include 58, 55, 55, and 61 regions, respectively.

"In the Same Zone as Chuncheon and Wonju?"... Inje County's Growing Sense of Exclusion

The Regional Preferential Index will be used to determine which regions receive preferential support and at what level, depending on the needs of various policies and programs. For example, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety currently sets central government support for local love gift certificates at 3% in the capital region, 5% outside the capital region, and 7% in areas facing population decline. Starting next year, the rates will be adjusted to 3% for Zone 1, 6% for Zone 2, 8% for Zone 3, and 9% for Zone 4. In this case, local governments that are both areas facing population decline and in Zone 4 would see central government support for their local love gift certificates rise from 7% to 9%, an increase of 2 percentage points.

Inje County Governor Choi Sang-gi shaves his head during a protest rally by Inje County residents in front of the National Assembly’s main gate in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 27th. They were protesting the county’s exclusion from the list of depopulation areas and its classification in Tier 2 of the Regional Preference Index. Oct. 27, 2026. Yonhap News.

Scene 3. Two announcements from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety sparked an uproar in Inje County, Gangwon Province. The county was classified not as an area facing population decline but as a Population Vitality Plus Area, and then placed in Zone 2 of the Regional Preferential Index alongside Chuncheon, Wonju, Gangneung, and Sokcho. Of the 18 cities and counties in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, only five were classified in Zone 2: Chuncheon, Wonju, Gangneung, Sokcho, and Inje County. This effectively grouped Inje County at the same development level as Gangwon's three major regional hubs - Chuncheon, Wonju, and Gangneung - and Sokcho, a major tourist city.

By contrast, neighboring areas with conditions similar to those in Inje County were all classified in lower zones and are expected to receive greater preferential support. Eight cities and counties, including Donghae City as well as Hongcheon, Hoengseong, Yeongwol, Pyeongchang, Cheorwon, Hwacheon, and Yanggu counties, were assigned to Zone 3. Five cities and counties - Taebaek, Samcheok, Jeongseon, Goseong, and Yangyang - were placed in Zone 4, which is expected to receive the greatest benefits.

"How Much More Underdeveloped Must We Be?"... Inje County Residents Shave Their Heads and Take to the Streets

Inje County is a border region with a population of only about 30,000. Its regional development has long been constrained by military facility protection zones and various environmental regulations. The registered resident population fell by 1,529, from 32,165 at the end of 2021 to 30,636 in September 2026. The county also ranked 151st out of 167 cities and counties nationwide in regional underdevelopment.

A banner opposing Inje County’s exclusion from designation as a depopulation area and its classification in Tier 2 of the Local Preferential Index hangs in Inje-eup, Inje County, Gangwon Province, on Oct. 23. After being disadvantaged in fiscal support programs, the county is urging the government to improve the system, saying, “The sacrifices made for national security have instead resulted in disadvantages in receiving government support.” Oct. 23, 2026. Yonhap News.

Inje County says it is unreasonable to group it in the same zone as cities that differ greatly in population size and level of regional development. It also argues that the straight-line distance from Seoul used to calculate the Regional Preferential Index does not adequately reflect actual travel times and transportation conditions. The county says the calculation should comprehensively consider the particular circumstances of border and mountainous areas and access to essential services such as healthcare and education. It is concerned that once the index is fully applied in 2027, regional support levels will differ across various government programs, including support for issuing local love gift certificates, potentially widening the gap in support compared with other cities and counties and affecting residents' lives and the local economy as a whole.

Scene 4. Inje County formed the Emergency Committee to Protest the Zone 2 Designation under the Regional Preferential Index and launched collective action. On the morning of the 27th, it held its first rally at Inje Grass Field, attended by about 3,000 people, calling for a complete review of "the government's decision to ignore the reality in Inje County." Kim Do-hyeong, chair of the Inje County Council and head of the emergency committee, said, "How much more underdeveloped must we be to count as a struggling region? How many more people must leave for us to be considered a region in crisis?" He added, "We cannot pass on to our children the lament that 'life here is unbearable because it is so frustrating.'" He urged the Ministry of the Interior and Safety not to brush the issue aside by merely saying it would "review" the matter, but to clearly explain how it would correct the decision.

At a second protest rally in front of the National Assembly's main gate in Yeouido, Seoul, that afternoon, a total of 10 people, including County Governor Choi Sang-gi, emergency committee chair Kim Do-hyeong, and Kim Geun-seong, head of the Inje County Village Chiefs' Association, shaved their heads to protest the Zone 2 classification, which they said ignored the reality in Inje County. National Assembly member Lee Yang-soo of the People Power Party, who represents Sokcho, Inje, Goseong, and Yangyang in Gangwon Province, and National Assembly member Heo Young of the Democratic Party of Korea, who represents Chuncheon, Cheorwon, Hwacheon, and Yanggu Gap, also attended the rally outside the National Assembly and voiced their support for Inje County residents.

From Appeals to the National Assembly to a Meeting with the Minister... "Reflect the Particular Circumstances of Border Areas"

On the 28th, the emergency committee also held a protest rally on the steps of the National Assembly's main building, attended by about 200 people, including County Governor Choi Sang-gi; Inje County Council Chair Kim Do-hyeong; Kim Geun-seong, head of the Inje County Village Chiefs' Association; and members of civic groups and residents from the county's six towns and townships. Following a report on the events leading up to the rally, protest speeches, and the reading of a resolution, four more heads of civic organizations shaved their heads to protest the Regional Preferential Index classification results. Emergency committee chair Kim, the county council chair, and County Governor Choi submitted a petition to the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee and Special Committee on Budget and Accounts. The petition called for a complete review of the zone classifications under the Regional Preferential Index, improvements to the calculation criteria to reflect the particular circumstances of border areas and regional underdevelopment, and the addition of more areas to the list of areas facing population decline. On the 29th, the committee submitted a joint petition signed by 8,794 residents and a statement of opposition to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

After a rally on the steps of the National Assembly’s Main Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 28th, Inje County Governor Choi Sanggi (left) and Inje County Council Chair Kim Dohyeong (right) present a protest petition to National Assembly member Lee Yangsoo. The rally was held to protest Inje County’s exclusion from the list of designated population-decline areas and its classification in Tier 2 of the Local Preference Index. October 28, 2026. Yonhap News

Scene 5. On the 30th, County Governor Choi Sang-gi met with Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung and requested that Inje County be moved to Zone 4 under the Regional Preferential Index and that it be additionally designated as an area facing population decline. Yonhap News Agency reported that Choi said he received the following response from Minister Yoon: "We are actively reviewing the redesignation of zones under the Regional Preferential Index, and will ensure that the zone designation does not disadvantage the county in terms of support or benefits for its residents." Choi described how military facility protections and various environmental regulations have constrained regional development, and said the impact of military families moving into the county should be reflected in the evaluation of population indicators. He also emphasized that the assessment should consider not only the straight-line distance from Seoul but also actual travel times, transportation networks, and disparities in essential services such as healthcare and education. Choi asked the government to improve the evaluation criteria, move Inje County from Zone 2 to Zone 4, and additionally designate it as an area facing population decline in consideration of the particular circumstances of border areas. He also called for the disclosure of specific calculation methods, including the weight assigned to each indicator and the evaluation results.

After a rally by Inje County residents protesting the county's exclusion from the list of designated population-decline areas and its classification in Tier 2 of the Local Preferential Index, County Governor Choi Sang-gi (left) and Inje County Council Chair Kim Do-hyeong (right) deliver a petition to Lee Gwang-jae, chair of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, on the steps of the National Assembly's main building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of Oct. 28, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

Namyangju Also Pushes Back... "Overlapping Regulations Leave Us Near the Bottom in Self-Sufficiency; Move Us to Zone 3"

Meanwhile, Namyangju City in Gyeonggi Province asked the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to reclassify the city from Zone 1 to Zone 3 under the Regional Preferential Index and establish a new "Regulatory Special Measures Zone." Namyangju was classified in Zone 1 along with 23 other cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province. The city expressed concern that "the region's economic conditions and development constraints caused by overlapping regulations have not been adequately reflected, which could leave us excluded from preferential government support in the future."

According to the city, Namyangju's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) per capita was 20.84 million won in 2023, ranking 30th among Gyeonggi Province's 31 cities and counties. The city's population and urban scale have grown as a result of large-scale housing development, but its economic self-sufficiency remains low because the expansion of its production and employment base, including office facilities, has not kept pace. Overlapping regulations, including the Seoul Metropolitan Area Readjustment Planning Act, development-restricted zones, the Paldang Lake Special Measures Area, and water-source protection zones, constrain land use and efforts to attract businesses.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.