By Kim Sung-jin
Staff Reporter

The female population exceeded the male population for the first time in 35 years on a longer life expectancy for women and a declining birthrate.
South Korea’s population stood at 47.25 million as of the end of Nov. 1, up 2.4 percent from 46.14 million at the end of 2000, the National Statistical Office (NSO) said in a preliminary report on the population census conducted between Nov. 1-15.

The Korean population breaks down to 23.62 million men, up 2 percent from 2000, and 23.63 million women, up 2.9 percent. This is the first time since 1970 for the number of women to exceed, or even come close to, the number of men in Korea.

The reversed sex proportion comes as a surprise in Korea, as people still prefer boys to girls.

``It is difficult to conclude that the female population surpassed the male population as the figures released today are preliminary. But we can say that the sex ratio of the Korean population is balanced at 50:50,’’ NSO Commissioner Oh Kab-won said.

``Such a narrowed gap is largely attributed to a longer life expectancy of women and a low birthrate,’’ Oh said.

Other notable change in demographics was a high urbanization rate. Korea’s urbanization rate, which represents the increase in the proportion of the urban population over the period, reached 81.5 percent, up 4.7 percent from five year ago, surpassing the 80 percent mark for the first time.

The rapid urbanization trend is increasing concerns of a hollowing out of rural agro-fisheries villages, where those populations are found to have decreased by 6.7 percent in the five year period. The NSO warned that the rapid aging of the rural population, coupled with increasing exodus of the rural population to urban areas, may lead to a collapse of the agricultural industry in some regions.

Korea’s urban population increased by 1.38 million, or 6.5 percent, since 2000 to 22.74 million, accounting for 48.1 percent of the total population.

While the respective populations of Seoul and Pusan, Korea’s two biggest cities, decreased by 99,000 and 144,000, the number of residents in Kyonggi Province that surrounds Seoul, went up by 1.44 million to 10.42 million, constituting 22 percent of the total population.

The number of residents in Seoul, 9.79 million, accounted for 20.7 percent of the total. The population density per square kilometer increased by 10 people to 474, the report showed.

The NSO said the gross population could reach 48.2-48.3 million considering that some 2 percent of the population was left out of the recent census.

``There is no change in our prospect, making it difficult for Korea’s population to top 50 million. Given the current low birth rate, the Korean population is forecast to reach its peak sometime around 2020 and begin to draw a downward curve afterward,’’ NSO Commissioner Oh said.

The number of households in Korea increased 11.1 percent to 15.9 million, from 14.31 million in 2000. The average number of family members decreased to 2.9 people from 3.1 people.

Total number of houses expanded by 14.9 percent, or by 1.63 million, to 12.59 million, from 10.9 million five years ago. Apartments accounted for 52.5 percent of residences this year, up 4.8 percentage points from 2000.

The statistical office will release a final and more detailed demographic data in May.

sjkim@koreatimes.co.kr