산림지역의 인구변화과정과 과소화(過疎化)에 관한 연구

Abstract

This study aims to identify the development trends in mountain areas in Korea where there are more potentials in the development of forest resources, by analysing the population related data for the 1968-1990 period. The population changes of 900 rural sub counties, of which the boundaries have not been changed, were examined, and the trends in population movement and the degree of depopulation were analysed. The result of study reveals that the mountain areas have experienced the most severe depopulation among all of the rural areas where the population increase has decreased by 30 percent on average for the last 30 years. The decreasing rate of 40.8% in the mountain areas contrasts with population increase of 60% for the nation during the last 30 years The depopulation in mountain areas started since 1970Ts, relatively late comparing to the other regions, anti became more severe in the later period 1985 1990. Among the mountain areas, 62.7% of rural sub counties have lost more than a half of their population for the last 30 years while only 13.2% have gained or maintained their population size. The results of study imply that the severe depopulation in mountain areas have created the devastation of remote areas, thus the supply potential of labor for forestry operations will be limited due to the depopulation problems in mountain areas.