1 in 3 young Koreans who leave Seoul return within 2 years, report finds

A job seeker looks at a job support program notice in Seoul, Dec. 16, 2025. Korea Times file

About 1 in 3 young Koreans who move to regions outside the capital return to the Seoul metropolitan area in less than two years, underscoring the persistent struggle of regional cities to hold onto young residents.

According to a report by the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade, released Wednesday, 34.9 percent of young people who moved away from the Seoul metropolitan area to regions outside the capital eventually returned, with an average stay outside the capital region of just 1.6 years.

Of all young people who migrated between the two regions, 42.7 percent moved from non-capital areas to the Seoul metropolitan area and settled there — the highest share of any migration pattern. By contrast, only 21.3 percent made the reverse move and remained outside the capital region.

The findings are based on data tracking the migration of about 1.45 million individuals aged 19 to 34 from 2016 to 2022.

Economic opportunity was the primary pull factor. In a separate survey of 800 respondents last year, work or business ranked as the top reason for leaving their home regions, at 45 percent.

Cities most favorable to young people were largely concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area. Based on an index of 229 cities nationwide across work, life and leisure, only four non-capital regions — Cheonan in South Chungcheong Province and Changwon, Jinju and Gimhae in South Gyeongsang Province — ranked in the top 10 percent.

“The accelerating net outflow of young people from non-capital regions is worsening regional imbalances and reducing national efficiency,” the report said.

The report added that young people in non-metropolitan regions often want to experience life in the Seoul metropolitan area, stressing that the focus should be on helping them return and settle again in their home regions, rather than preventing them from leaving.