1. Study Objectives and Methods
￮ Faced with a shrinking and aging population, Jeonbuk State must devise ways to effectively navigate the potential crisis of regional extinction in its eastern, western, and provincial border areas, primarily driven by low fertility rates and the exodus of the young population.
￮ Thus, we propose measures to minimize the outflow and encourage the inflow of the female population by collecting and analyzing the opinions of the region’s women about the exodus of female youth.
￮ We reviewed previous studies on population and youth policies, performed statistical analyses of related datasets, and examined population and youth policies and projects at home and abroad.
￮ Leveraging the analysis of how to prevent the exodus of young women and motivate them to become the resident population, we conducted focus group interviews and surveys targeting young women in their 20s and 30s from Jeonbuk State to identify relevant policy and project opportunities.
￮ For in-depth interviews, 19 female interviewees were divided into four categories: those born in Jeonbuk, left Jeonbuk, and then returned to Jeonbuk; those who had continuously lived in Jeonbuk since birth; those born in other regions but settled in Jeonbuk; and those born in Jeonbuk but settled in other regions. We examined the moving experience, the reasons for their relocation, their assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of each region, and their decision to become residents by analyzing the cases of rural areas and relocating public institutions.
2. Conclusion and Policy Suggestion
￮ We established the vision "Jeonbuk, a place where young women can pursue their various dreams in a safe and positive manner"and the mission statement "Jeonbuk exists to provide young women with ample opportunities in a sustainable environment, facilitating their pursuit of life goals" to assist young women in settling down in Jeonbuk and leading decent lives.
￮ As part of sector-specific strategies, we propose the following measures:
＊ Revitalizing the job market: expanding startup and job creation support programs,developing corporate culture improvement systems, and promoting workcation projects for young women.
＊ Increasing the resident population: expanding urban bicycle-sharing programs and pediatric services.
＊ Reinforcing education and training: strengthening the collaboration between universities and local communities and expanding competence-building vocational programs for young women.
＊ Improving welfare and culture: developing support programs for various leisure activities across culture, art,and sports and creating experimental spaces such as pop-up stores to attract a younger consumer base.
＊ Promoting youth communities: forming communities thatfacilitate communication among young women and strengthening regional identity through Jeonbuk brand discovery.
