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| Taebaek city is once a coal mining hub in South Korea |
For over a decade, Kim Kyung-rae, a 60-year-old taxi driver, has rarely picked up a young passenger in Taebaek.
“I don’t even hear the sound of crying babies anymore,” he said. “This town has lost all its vitality—it's full of elderly people.”
Located 180 kilometers from Seoul, Taebaek thrived during the 1960s and 1970s as a coal mining hub with a population of 120,000. But as the demand for coal declined, so did the city. The last coal mine, Janseong-dong, closed in 2024, and by February 2025, Taebaek’s population had plunged to just 37,000—making it the least populated city in South Korea. Over 30% of its residents are now aged 65 or older.
Kim believes the actual population is even lower, excluding so-called “ghost residents” who are registered locally but live elsewhere. His own two daughters have moved to Seoul for education and work.
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| Population decline in Taebaek city |
The city’s only higher education institution, Gangwon Tourism College, shut down last year. Most young people have left, seeking jobs in Seoul, Gyeonggi, or Jeolla Province.
One of the few returnees is Seo Hyun-chul, a 29-year-old engineer who now manages wind turbines near Taebaek.
“There are no jobs here and barely any young people,” he said. The only major employer is Kangwon Land, Korea’s only casino resort open to locals, originally built to stimulate the post-mining economy.
On weekends, Seo visits Hwangji-dong, the city’s last remaining commercial district. Once lively, it now feels abandoned. Many storefronts are empty, and cafes close early due to lack of customers.
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| Taebaek city center (Hwangji-dong) feels abandoned |
Park Eun-joo, 49, who runs a women’s clothing shop in Hwangji-dong, said:
“Most of my customers are elderly, even though my clothes are designed for women in their 40s.”
When the coal mine and college were operational, families of professors, employees, and civil servants filled the district. Today, even middle-aged shoppers are rare.
“I’m just barely hanging on,” Park said.
Taebaek’s struggle is part of a broader national issue. South Korea’s low birth rate, aging population, and Seoul-centric migration have placed 89 out of 229 administrative districts at risk of disappearing, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
To combat this, the government launched a 10 trillion won Local Response Fund (2022–2031) aimed at improving infrastructure and living conditions in at-risk areas. Still, preventing mass migration to Seoul—home to over half the national population—remains a major challenge.
In 2019, desperate to revive the economy, Taebaek petitioned to build a prison. Over 10,000 residents signed the petition. In 2022, the Ministry of Justice approved the plan, and 100 congratulatory banners were placed around the city.
“We were desperate. We had to do something—anything—to save this town,” said Mayor Ryu Tae-ho.
The new prison (태백 교도소) will span 440,000 square meters and house up to 1,500 inmates when it opens in 2028. A report by the Gangwon Institute estimates the prison will attract 2,700 people, including staff and their families, plus 12,000 annual visitors—a potential economic lifeline.
“Why worry about building a prison?” said Park. “If it helps the local economy, that’s what matters. I don’t want this city to vanish.”
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| Taebaek prison (태백 교도소) to be completed in 2028 |
Cheongsong, a county in North Gyeongsang Province, 220 km from Seoul, has shown signs of stability. In 2017, a new 54-unit housing complex for correctional officers boosted local consumption and infrastructure growth. Major franchise chains like Paris Baguette and Mom’s Touch have since opened in Jinbo-myeon, stabilizing the population decline.
Between 2017 and 2023, Cheongsong’s population only dropped from 24,441 to 23,099—a much smaller decrease compared to Taebaek.
Other regions like Geochang and Yangju are embracing once-rejected public infrastructure projects such as waste incineration plants and funeral facilities as a means to attract government investment and job opportunities.
“Public facilities once avoided are now seen as valuable assets,” said Professor Chang-deok from Yeungnam University.
“With fewer people, Koreans are rethinking what their towns need to survive,” added Professor Choi Seuk-ki from the School of Public Policy.
Reference: korea herald, yonhap news, daum news, vnexpress