'It's not that we like Seoul': Young Koreans explain why they leave their hometowns

Eight young Koreans from outside Seoul say they do not move to the capital because they like it, but because jobs, internships, training, and interviews are concentrated there. They say regional prejudice has weakened among people in their 20s, yet the opportunity gap with Seoul has deepened their sense of marginalization. They also argue that keeping young people in the regions requires building local industries and options, not just asking them to stay.

The Ministry of Data and Statistics says about 30,000 young people move to Seoul each year in net terms for university or work.

Participants said Busan had about three internship listings on Linkareer while Seoul had 601.

One participant said a job-search club was almost nonexistent outside Seoul, so friends moved to Seoul just to join one.

Another participant said a friend in Busan could not attend an in-person lecture tied to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs program because it was held only in Seoul.

Participants argued that industries distinctive to each region and more local choices are needed so young people can stay by choice.

Published Oct 2, 2026 12:17 am KST

About 30,000 young people move to Seoul each year in net terms for school or work, data shows

Korea Times illustration by Shin Dong-jun

"Why do you insist on living in Seoul? You could just live in your own region."

Young people from outside the capital hear that question often, and they say it misses the point. About 30,000 of them move to Seoul each year in net terms for university or work, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The regional antagonism that split their parents' generation between the Jeolla provinces in Korea's southwest and the Gyeongsang provinces in the southeast has faded. In its place, the concentration of opportunity in Seoul alone has deepened their marginalization. Eight participants in a roundtable discussion described what that gap looks like from the other end of the country.

Regional prejudice survives as mockery

Participant 7: "The regional rivalry between Gyeongsang and Jeolla doesn't seem that strong among people in their 20s these days."

Participant 6: "There isn't the same level of it as among people in their 50s and 60s. But I have encountered some anti-Jeolla sentiment. Some friends whose parents are from Jeolla make such comments even more openly."

Participant 1: "I've hardly seen friends say things like that, and I've never really felt regional rivalry myself."

Participant 6: "I think political views have a lot to do with it. They seem to be put off by their parents' generation's politics. Even among friends from the Gyeongsang provinces, some feel resentment toward strongly conservative families. Rather than the old rivalry between Jeolla and Gyeongsang remaining, it survives as a joke or casual ridicule."

Participant 7: "Is this something that shows up mainly among some men in their 20s?"

Participant 6: "From what I've seen, yes."

Participant 1: "I wonder if it has just continued inside online forums. Rather than disparaging people or regions out of hatred, I think it happens because they encounter it in middle and high school. Especially since that's the culture male teenagers are exposed to, there's a part of it they're naturally drawn to."

Uneven playing field between regions, Seoul

Participant 8: "Friends from outside Seoul who came here for university say the hardest question to answer is, 'Why do you want to live in Seoul? You could just live in your region.' Is that really true?"

Participant 3: "It's true. On the job hunt, I was asked, 'You can just get a job in your region. Why come all the way up to Seoul where competition is tough?' I thought it was rude. It overlooks that there are no jobs in the regions."

Participant 5: "Right. There are companies in the regions. But once you check whether they have the kind of job I want, whether they hire entry-level, whether you can build a career, the options shrink fast."

Participant 6: "Beyond employment, was there anything else that made you feel alienated or inconvenienced living outside Seoul?"

Participant 3: "I didn't even know it was inconvenient until I went to university, because I'd always lived in my region. But when I talked with friends who came down from Seoul, they talked so much about things like where a pop-up store was opening that I wondered whether I was out of touch. I was used to an environment where those things didn't exist to begin with."

Participant 1: "Career opportunities are the same. A friend in Busan joined an extracurricular program tied to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but the lecture the friend really wanted was held only in person in Seoul. The friend couldn't go, because of classes. I searched Linkareer, a recruitment and career information platform, a few days ago. Busan had about three internship listings. Seoul had 601. The gap is so big that I think that's why people scrape together money to live in Seoul."

Linkareer, a Korean recruitment and career-information platform, lists 574 internship openings in Seoul and five in Busan, Sept. 29. Captured from Linkareer

Participant 3: "I was frustrated the same way applying for a student ambassador program, the roles companies and agencies use for promotion. I passed the initial application screening, but the second interview was scheduled in Seoul on a weekday afternoon. Someone from Seoul could have gone and come back easily, but I had to set aside the whole day. I had classes and a part-time job. I asked whether I could interview on another date, but there was no consideration for people like me."

Participant 6: "I felt something similar preparing for the job hunt. Job-search clubs are almost nonexistent outside Seoul, so I saw friends who found a place in Seoul and moved just to join one. The gap isn't after you join a company. The infrastructure of opportunity to prepare before you even get in is very different."

Participant 1: "In interviews, too, there's almost never been one where I wasn't asked, 'You're from Busan, so how will you manage if you get hired here?'"

Participant 2: "Same for me. My internship interview was in the morning, so I woke up at 4 a.m. and traveled to Seoul. Even there, they asked how someone from outside Seoul would manage living here. Even though I wasn't prepared, I had no choice but to say I was."

'It's not that we like Seoul either'

Participant 1: "A friend in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, told me, 'If I could work at POSCO, of course I'd stay in Pohang.' The steelmaker is based there. But outside Seoul there are almost no employers for nontechnical white-collar fields, so they have to come here."

Participant 3: "I'm from Ulsan, and people tell me all the time, 'You're from Ulsan, so just get a job at Hyundai Motor.' The automaker's main plant is there. But if I want to use my major and work in marketing or public relations, there are no openings in Ulsan. Even if I wanted to join a company in my region, there are no positions to apply for."

Participant 6: "So you think jobs are ultimately the most important thing for putting down roots in a region?"

Participant 3: "I think so. Most of my friends who stayed work as teachers or local government employees."

Participant 6: "So to get hired and settle down, you end up having to move to the Seoul metropolitan area."

Participant 3: "Right. That's especially true in nontechnical fields. For jobs like marketing you have to build experience, but internships and training are concentrated in Seoul. A friend of mine rushed to find a room in Seoul to take a training course."

Steam billows from POSCO's Pohang Works in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. Yonhap

Participant 1: "A friend of mine who wants to be an actor said they would live in their hometown of Busan if conditions allowed. But every audition is in Seoul and the agencies are in Seoul. There isn't a single casting opportunity in Busan, no matter how hard you look, so there's no choice."

Participant 6: "Quite a few people want to keep living where they grew up, as long as an environment lets them settle. It's not that they want to come live in Seoul. Jobs are the main reason they come."

Participant 5: "It's not that we want to live in Seoul. It's that to do the work I want, I have to go to Seoul. Having jobs in a region and having the job I want are completely different problems."

Participant 3: "I'm someone who wants to live in my region. But that really isn't easy either. Of course the jobs are limited, but because of that, there's no room for the people who actually want to stay."

Participant 6: "So it's more of a bottleneck because there are so few spots. People keep flocking to the metropolitan area, so new openings keep emerging there, while companies assume there's no demand outside and don't relocate."

Participant 3: "Exactly."

Participant 4: "I don't think sending a few companies out to the regions creates the same environment as Seoul. I think it would be better to build up industries that are distinctive to each region."

Participant 2: "Right. What matters isn't holding young people in the regions. It's creating options so they can choose their own lives in the regions too. Isn't that what has to happen for people to really stay by choice?"

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

八位来自首尔以外地区的韩国年轻人表示，他们搬到首尔并非因为喜欢这座城市，而是因为工作、实习、培训和面试机会都集中在那里。他们说，虽然20多岁的年轻人中地域偏见有所减弱，但首尔与首尔之间的机会差距却加深了他们的边缘化感。他们还认为，要留住年轻人，需要发展本地产业，提供更多选择，而不仅仅是请求他们留下。

韩国数据统计部表示，每年净流入首尔的年轻人约有 3 万，他们或是为了上大学，或是为了工作。

参与者表示，釜山在 Linkareer 上有大约 3 个实习职位，而首尔有 601 个。

一位参与者表示，首尔以外的地方几乎没有求职俱乐部，所以一些朋友搬到首尔就是为了加入一个。

另一位参与者表示，他在釜山的朋友无法参加与外交部项目相关的现场讲座，因为该讲座只在首尔举行。

与会者认为，需要发展各地区特色产业，提供更多本地选择，以便年轻人能够自愿留下来。

发布于2026年10月2日凌晨12:17（韩国标准时间）

数据显示，每年约有3万名年轻人因求学或工作而净迁往首尔。

《韩国时报》插图，作者：申东俊

“你为什么非要住在首尔呢？你完全可以住在你自己的家乡啊。”

来自首都以外的年轻人经常听到这个问题，他们认为这个问题根本没抓住重点。据韩国统计厅统计，每年约有3万名年轻人为了上大学或工作而净迁往首尔。他们父辈那一代人所经历的地域对立——即韩国西南部的全罗道和东南部的庆尚道之间的隔阂——已经逐渐消退。取而代之的是，机会高度集中于首尔，这反而加剧了他们的边缘化。在一次圆桌讨论中，八位参与者从韩国的另一端描述了这种差距。

地域偏见以嘲讽的形式延续至今

参与者 7：“如今，在 20 多岁的人群中，庆尚南道和全罗南道之间的地区竞争似乎并不那么强烈。”

参与者6：“这种情绪在五六十岁的人群中并不像在其他人身上那么强烈。但我确实遇到过一些反全罗情绪。有些朋友的父母来自全罗，他们甚至更公开地发表这类言论。”

参与者 1：“我很少看到朋友说这样的话，我自己也从未真正感受到过地区间的竞争。”

参与者6：“我认为这与政治观点有很大关系。他们似乎对父母那一代的政治感到反感。即使在庆尚道的朋友中，有些人也对一些非常保守的家庭感到不满。全罗道和庆尚道之间过去的竞争关系并没有延续下来，而是变成了一个笑话或随意的嘲讽。”

参与者 7：“这种情况主要出现在一些 20 多岁的男性身上吗？”

参与者 6：“就我所见，是的。”

参与者1：“我怀疑这种现象是否只是延续到了网络论坛上。与其说是出于仇恨而贬低他人或地区，我认为这是因为他们在中学时期接触到了这种文化。尤其是因为这是青少年男性所接触到的文化，他们自然而然地会被其中的某些方面所吸引。”

首尔地区间竞争环境不公平

参与者 8：“一些从首尔以外的地方来这里上大学的朋友说，最难回答的问题是，‘你为什么要住在首尔？你完全可以住在你所在的地区。’这是真的吗？”

参与者3：“确实如此。找工作的时候，有人问我，‘你完全可以在你所在的地区找到工作。为什么非要大老远跑到竞争激烈的首尔来呢？’我觉得这很无礼。这完全忽略了其他地区根本没有工作机会的事实。”

参与者 5：“没错。这些地区确实有一些公司。但是一旦你查看他们是否有我想要的工作，是否招收入门级员工，以及是否能让你发展职业生涯，选择就会迅速减少。”

参与者 6：“除了工作之外，还有什么其他因素让你觉得住在首尔以外的地方很疏离或不方便吗？”

参与者3：“直到上大学，我才意识到这有多不方便，因为我一直住在本地。但当我跟从首尔来的朋友聊天时，他们总是谈论快闪店在哪里开之类的事情，我开始怀疑自己是不是跟不上时代了。我以前生活的环境里本来就没有这些。”

参与者1：“职业机会是一样的。我在釜山的一个朋友参加了一个与外交部相关的课外活动项目，但他真正想听的讲座只在首尔有线下授课。他因为要上课去不了。几天前，我在招聘和职业信息平台Linkareer上搜索了一下。釜山只有大约三个实习岗位，而首尔有601个。差距这么大，我想这就是为什么人们要想方设法攒钱去首尔生活的原因吧。”

韩国招聘及职业信息平台Linkareer于9月29日发布了首尔574个实习岗位和釜山5个实习岗位的信息。（数据来自Linkareer）

参与者3：“我申请学生大使项目时也遇到了同样的问题，公司和机构利用学生大使进行推广。我通过了初选，但第二次面试却安排在首尔，而且还是工作日的下午。首尔本地人去面试回来很方便，但我却要腾出一整天的时间。我还要上课和打工。我问能不能改期面试，但他们根本没有考虑过像我这样的情况。”

参与者6：“我在准备找工作的时候也有类似的感受。首尔以外的地方几乎没有求职俱乐部，所以我看到一些朋友为了加入一个俱乐部，特意搬到首尔。问题不在于你入职之后，而在于入职前准备工作的机会体系非常不同。”

参与者 1：“在面试中，几乎每次都会有人问我：‘你来自釜山，如果你在这里被录用，你会如何适应？’”

参与者2：“我也是。我的实习面试在早上，所以我凌晨4点就起床飞往首尔。即使到了那里，他们还是问我一个外地人怎么适应这里的生活。虽然我毫无准备，但我别无选择，只能说我准备好了。”

“并不是说我们喜欢首尔。”

参与者1：“我在庆尚北道浦项市的一个朋友告诉我，‘如果我能在浦项钢铁公司工作，我当然会留在浦项。’这家钢铁公司总部就在那里。但首尔以外几乎没有非技术性白领领域的工作机会，所以他们不得不来这里。”

参与者3：“我来自蔚山，人们总是跟我说，‘你是蔚山人，那就去现代汽车找份工作吧。’这家汽车制造商的主要工厂就在那里。但如果我想运用我的专业，从事市场营销或公共关系方面的工作，蔚山根本没有空缺。即使我想加入本地的公司，也没有职位可以申请。”

参与者 6：“所以你认为工作最终是扎根一个地区最重要的因素吗？”

参与者3：“我也这么认为。我的朋友中留下来的大多数都成了教师或地方政府雇员。”

参与者 6：“所以，要想找到工作并安定下来，最终都得搬到首尔都市区。”

参与者3：“没错。非技术领域尤其如此。像市场营销这样的工作需要积累经验，但实习和培训机会都集中在首尔。我有个朋友为了参加培训课程，急忙在首尔找了个房间。”

韩国庆尚北道浦项市浦项钢铁厂冒出滚滚蒸汽。（韩联社）

参与者1：“我有个朋友想当演员，她说如果条件允许，她想住在老家釜山。但所有的试镜都在首尔，经纪公司也在首尔。釜山根本没有任何试镜机会，不管怎么努力找，所以她别无选择。”

参与者6：“很多人想继续住在自己长大的地方，只要环境允许他们安顿下来。并不是他们想来首尔生活，他们来这里的主要原因是工作。”

参与者5：“并不是我们想住在首尔。而是为了做我想做的工作，我必须去首尔。在某个地区找到工作和找到我想做的工作是完全不同的两回事。”

参与者3：“我想留在我的家乡生活。但这真的不容易。当然，工作机会有限，正因为如此，真正想留下来的人就没有生存空间了。”

参与者 6：“所以这更像是一个瓶颈，因为地点太少了。人们不断涌向大都市区，所以那里不断涌现新的职位空缺，而公司则认为其他地方没有需求，因此不会搬迁。”

参与者3：“正是如此。”

参与者4：“我不认为派几家公司到各地就能营造出与首尔相同的环境。我认为最好是发展每个地区独具特色的产业。”

参与者2：“没错。重要的不是把年轻人留在偏远地区，而是创造选择，让他们也能在偏远地区选择自己的生活。难道这不正是人们真正出于自愿留下来所必需的吗？”

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。