Press

You may have heard of the term 'regional depopulation.' A regional depopulation index below 0.2 is classified as a very high-risk area for extinction, while an index above 1.5 indicates a low-risk area. Yeongdeok, where I currently reside, has a depopulation index of 0.18, classifying it as a high-risk extinction area. Yeongdeok County's population declined from 66,000 in 1990 to 35,000 as of April this year. Since 2017, natural population decline has accelerated, with annual decreases exceeding 500 people. Yeongdeok County has abandoned setting population targets, determining that efforts to increase local birth rates are no longer meaningful. Instead, it is pursuing a more realistic new goal: 'relational population'—the concept of external populations visiting and staying in Yeongdeok to create an influx effect. The county is implementing various projects to encourage people to visit and remain in the area. Local entrepreneurship positively influences the creation of relational population. The '2022 Regional Culture Vitality Promotion Support Project' is an example of such efforts, enabling local creators to participate in cultural and artistic projects while allowing young entrepreneurs to attempt new local businesses. Various activities are underway centered on Mansei Market in Yeongdeok-eup, Yeongdeok County, where vacant shops are scattered throughout. These include the Yeongdeok People Record exhibition documenting long-time residents, the Mansei Photo Studio recording market merchants, circus parades and performance arts in the market, murals and photo zones, and the pop-up store 'Sparkle Shop' showcasing prototypes using local resources. These efforts are breathing new life into Yeongdeok's Mansei Market. With Underdogs, I am operating a local entrepreneurship support program called 'Local Startup Camp in Yeongdeok' as part of this support initiative. Through this startup camp, I am working with 12 entrepreneurs discovering new resources in Yeongdeok and developing them into business items. I am discovering a new face of Yeongdeok. I previously knew Yeongdeok only as 'the snow crab city.' I simply thought of it as a fishing village where many snow crabs are caught in winter because of the sea. However, the newly discovered Yeongdeok is a place where farming thrives inland, beyond Kanggu Port, known as Crab Street. It is a place where sea-wind-grown spinach flourishes, boasting the nation's top pine mushroom production, abundant peaches and apples. Among startup camp participants is someone who relocated to Yeongdeok to start a strawberry farm, a young couple establishing themselves in rural areas, and a surfer entrepreneur with no prior connections who established a surf shop after discovering Yeongdeok's excellent waves. Notably, Yeongdeok has waves that even long-time residents didn't know about! Unlike Yangyang, already famous for surfing, Yeongdeok has few surf shops but possesses waves ideal for beginner surfers to learn stably. Working with these startup teams, we will open a pop-up store called 'Sparkle Shop' at the 'Art for Mansei' event held at Mansei Market in late December. This is an opportunity for startup item prototypes to meet the local community and receive feedback. Of course, there are limitations. Longtime merchants in Yeongdeok sometimes express concern and worry about outsiders' activities, and some may view newcomers as competitors. Although the pop-up store operates for only four days, many startup team items involve food and beverages, creating complex situations requiring understanding from other food establishments and merchant associations within the market. We are overcoming these challenges through networking. Shared empathy and information provide the strength to accomplish what previously seemed impossible. Additionally, amid the unfortunate situation of almost no influx of external population, I hope for an atmosphere where new attempts and approaches are viewed as efforts to revitalize the market and community. Moving forward, many provincial small cities face extinction crises, and the importance of 'local' is expected to expand. Discovering regional resources unknown even to local residents through the fresh perspective of outsiders and working harmoniously with community members—creating opportunities for locals to embrace young people from outside—this is the effort entrepreneurs can make to address regional depopulation. As the site continues working hard today to become a good example creating renewed vitality with such commitment, there is hope that as cases accumulate and relational population grows, there will be opportunities even amid extinction crises.