Western Gyeongbuk shows Korea's aging divide within one region

Western North Gyeongsang shows how sharply population aging can vary within a single one-hour region. At the end of 2025, residents aged 65 or older made up 14.1 percent of Gumi's population, 20.3 percent in Chilgok, 27.6 percent in Gimcheon, 37.9 percent in Goryeong and 38.7 percent in Seongju.

The gradient means nearby cities are already living at very different stages of Korea's demographic transition. It also makes the area a compact example of how aging pressures can diverge even across closely connected local economies.