The Era of 51% in the Capital Region: Regional Korea is Disappearing

An apartment construction site in a new town in Gyeonggi Province, where dozens of cranes operate simultaneously. [Photo = Korea Business Review DB] Amid deepening population concentration in the greater Seoul metropolitan area, Gyeonggi Province is projected to be one of only two regions nationwide, along with Sejong, where the population will increase through 2052. A Nation of 51.1 Million, Half Living in the Capital Area South Korea's demographic landscape is being reorganized at an unprecedented pace. As of February 2026, the country's resident registration population stood at 51,106,229 (approximately 51.1 million), a decrease of 4,929 from the previous month (according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety resident registration population statistics). On the surface, the nation appears to maintain a population in the 51 million range, but beneath the surface, it is fundamental…