CHUNGCHEONGBUK-DO < invest Korea

According to Yonhap News,

(Cheongju = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Hyoung-woo – Cheongju City's population demonstrated an upward trend in the first quarter of this year, and the region's export volume also increased significantly, driven by strong performance in the semiconductor sector.

Cheongju City announced the 'First Quarter 2026 Cheongju City Major Basic Statistics' on the 26th, which comprehensively analyzes key regional indicators including population, economy, city, and environment.

According to the statistics, Cheongju City's population stood at 886,925 as of the end of March, marking an increase of 1,577 from the end of last year.

By category, the natural increase—calculated as births minus deaths—amounted to 105, while the social net inflow—calculated as inward migrants minus outward migrants—reached 1,679. The foreign population decreased by 207.

The number of births in the first quarter was 1,557, outnumbering the 1,452 deaths.

By region, the city explained that the population growth was particularly prominent in Osong-eup, driven by continuous move-ins into newly constructed apartment complexes.

In terms of economic indicators, the growth in exports was highly visible.

Cheongju's export volume in the first quarter of this year reached USD 8.307 billion, representing a 53.7 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

The trade balance surplus was recorded at USD 7.548 billion.

The scale of both export volume and trade surplus ranked fourth among local governments nationwide.

In particular, Cheongju City explained that semiconductor exports led the overall growth, accounting for 81.2 percent of the total first-quarter exports.

Recently compiled employment indicators were also favorable.

As of the second half of last year, Cheongju's employment rate stood at 66.0 percent, which is 2.5 percentage points higher than the national average of 63.5 percent.

The unemployment rate was 1.9 percent, remaining 0.9 percentage points lower than the national average of 2.8 percent.

The number of passengers utilizing Cheongju International Airport also expanded.

In the first quarter of this year, the number of flights operated at Cheongju Airport reached 8,616, up 46.7 percent from a year earlier. The number of passengers rose 44.3 percent to 1,357,849.

In the housing market, unsold housing units dropped from 1,184 units recorded at the end of last year to 154 units this March.

The apartment transaction volume in the first quarter of this year reached 3,493 cases, marking an 11.4 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

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Source Text

Source: Yonhap News (May 26, 2026)

** This article was translated from Korean.