By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff Reporter

More than three out of 10 farmers across the nation were found to be aged 65 years or older last year, with a growing number of young people in rural areas moving to cities for higher income and better lives.

Over the years, farmers and fishermen have also become older amid low birthrates and rapid population aging, making farming and fishing less labor productive, profitable businesses.

According to the National Statistical Office (NSO) Tuesday, 33.3 percent of people living in farming areas were over 65 as of the end of 2008, up from 32.1 percent a year earlier. In fishing villages, 22.7 percent of residents were senior citizens, up from 22.1 percent in 2007.

The ratios of senior citizens to the rest of the population engaging in agricultural and fisheries sectors was much higher than the nation's overall ratio of 10.3 percent, meaning agricultural and fishing villages have already become super-aged, with the elderly accounting for 20 percent.

Korea as a whole became an aging society in 2000, with the portion of senior citizens exceeding 7 percent. It is projected to become an aged society in 2018, as people over 65 will account for more than 14 percent of the population.

The number of farmers stood at 3.19 million in December last year, down 2.7 percent from a year ago, accounting for 6.6 percent of the total population. Fishermen also declined by 4.6 percent to 192,000, according to the statistical office.

``The number of people in rural areas has decreased at a fast pace over the years because of the nation's rapid industrialization and urbanization. And on top of the falling rural population, farmers and fishermen have become more aged, as most young people move to cities, leaving parents and grandparents behind,'' an NSO official said.

leehs@koreatimes.co.kr