'Not here to farm': Jobs drive 40% of young people to rural areas, study finds

Jobs, not farming, are the single biggest draw pulling young people to rural South Korea, a new study has found. More than four in 10 young people already active in rural areas chose their current location because of employment or job prospects, and 93% said they intend to keep living and working there — again citing economic opportunity as the primary reason. With the vast majority of rural youth working outside agriculture, researchers say policy support must expand well beyond the farming sector to cover a wider range of jobs and startups.

The Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) released the study Friday. Titled "Research on Economic Activity Support for Expanding the Entry and Settlement of Youth Relational Population in Rural Areas," it surveyed 450 young people in total: 250 with low-to-moderate engagement with rural life — those who have an interest in or intention to participate in rural activities — and 200 with high engagement, meaning those already living or working in rural areas.

The study classified participants into three groups: "low-engagement" youth who are interested in rural life but have yet to take concrete steps; "mid-engagement" youth who are building ties through visits or program participation; and "high-engagement" youth who are already residing in or conducting economic and social activities in rural areas.

Among the 200 high-engagement respondents, employment and job-seeking was the top reason for choosing their current rural location, cited by 42.5%. Family and marriage came second at 19.5%, followed by hometown ties or familiarity at 12.5% and starting a business at 11.5%. Government support programs and opportunities was limited to 5.5%.

Of the high-engagement group, 86.5% were registered as residents in their rural area, and they had lived there for an average of four years and seven months.

Key findings from the survey on youth entry into and settlement in rural areas (provided by KREI):

Survey subjects: 450 youth. High-engagement youth intending to continue rural activities: 93.0%. Top reason for continuing rural activities: economic opportunities found in rural areas, 61.3%. Values most important to high-engagement youth: economic income, 80.0%; future economic activity opportunities, 79.0%. Top reasons for choosing current rural area: employment/job-seeking, 42.5%; starting a business, 11.5%. Share of rural youth working outside agriculture: 95%. Urban youth in their 20s and 30s willing to pursue personal goals in rural areas: 33.7% (2019) → 50.8% (2023) → 46.2% (2025).

The intention to remain active in rural areas after settling in was high. Some 93% of high-engagement youth said they plan to continue their rural activities, with "economic opportunities found in rural areas" the leading reason at 61.3%.

Economic factors also dominated the values that active rural youth said mattered most to them. Some 80.0% of high-engagement respondents rated "economic income" as important, and 79.0% cited "future economic activity opportunities." By contrast, low- and mid-engagement youth — those just beginning to take an interest in rural life — placed greater weight on relational and emotional stability (80.5%) and the sense of peace derived from nature and living things (72.4%). Researchers interpreted this as evidence that the importance of an economic foundation grows as interest in rural life translates into actual activity and settlement.

The pool of young people showing interest in rural life has also grown, the study found. Analysis of existing survey data showed that the share of urban youth in their 20s and 30s willing to pursue personal goals in rural areas rose from 33.7% in 2019 to 50.8% in 2023. The figure dipped to 46.2% in 2025 but remained 12.5 percentage points above the 2019 level. Researchers viewed this group as a potential relational population for rural communities.

The challenge lies in converting that interest into actual entry and settlement. Young people who have moved to rural areas pointed to a shortage of quality jobs, difficulty securing housing, a lack of business coaching resources, and a sense of exclusion from local communities. Without adequate opportunities to earn a stable income in rural areas, interest alone is unlikely to translate into a move, the study noted.

Particularly notable was the gap between the actual economic activities of rural youth and the policy support available to them. Some 95% of young people in rural areas work outside agriculture — in manufacturing, wholesale and retail, health and social welfare services, accommodation and food service, and education services. Yet youth employment support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs remains concentrated on the agri-food sector, the researchers said, falling short of reflecting demand for non-agricultural jobs and startups.

Trial-living programs such as "Try Rural Life" also need to go beyond simply attracting young people to rural areas and connect participants to actual economic activity, the study argued. Without follow-up support that organically links post-experience local exploration, employment or startup opportunities, and settlement assistance, young people who show interest risk dropping out before they become active participants in rural communities.

The researchers proposed shifting youth policy away from simple residential support toward an integrated approach that also fosters economic activity and community ties. Specific alternatives included peer learning — where young entrepreneurs share experiences — dedicated on-site startup coaches known as "pacers," and pilot stores that allow entrepreneurs to test business viability in vacant spaces. The study also proposed creating public-sector youth jobs in areas such as care services, culture and local management: activities essential to sustaining rural communities but difficult to make financially viable through the market alone.

"For young people to choose rural areas as a new place to build their lives, the key is establishing a foundation for sustainable economic activity — going beyond simple trial experiences or one-off relocation support," said Kwon In-hye, an associate research fellow at KREI. "We need to build a step-by-step support system that organically connects every stage from initial interest to local settlement, including non-agricultural sectors where most rural youth actually work, and design rural areas as spaces of new opportunity for young people."