Miryang fights population decline with tourism and culture

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

MIRYANG, South Gyeongsang — A city filled with sunlight. That is the literal meaning of Miryang, an inland city in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula best known as the birthplace of "Miryang Arirang," one of the three representative versions of the iconic Korean folk song.

However, the once-quiet countryside town has recently bustled for a different reason: travelers.

Miryang was among the early participants in the state-backed “half-price travel” program, under which the government reimburses part of travelers’ expenses in local currency to selected regions struggling with population decline.

Miryang's population fell under 100,000 last year. 

The first two rounds of the program for April and May sold out on the day applications opened, according to the city government. A total of 2,000 spots were offered for April and 2,500 for May. 

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young visited the city on Thursday and Friday to inspect the program on-site and gather feedback. Chae toured Miryang's key tourist landmarks, such as Youngnamnu, a National Treasure-designated pavilion overlooking the Namcheon River, and the nearby Miryang Eupseong Fortress.

"The half-price travel program appears to be generating better-than-expected results," Chae said. "We will consider ways to expand the program further."

On the back of the program, the number of people who received Miryang's so-called digital citizenship, a certificate granted by the city government to tourists who visited designated attractions, surpassed 100,000 in less than a year after the initiative was launched in June last year. 

"A key factor why our 'half-price travel' program sold out early is that we conduct reimbursement promptly on a weekly basis and that we sent out travel guidance materials in advance so that visitors can learn about the region before arriving. We also roll out various seasonal events as well," said Lee Kyung-sook, who heads the city's tourism promotion efforts.

Culture Minister Chae's itinerary included the city's traditional market, one of Miryang's key tourist spots that welcomes an average of 4,800 visitors daily. Its mazelike alleyways are lined with sections dedicated to barley rice, pork gukbap — a Korean soup served with rice — and more. Miryang is known as the birthplace of pork gukbap with clear bone broth. 

Miryang's cultural asset

Much of Miryang's tourism appeal stems from its cultural heritage. The city was designated a Culture City by the ministry in 2021 and is entering its fifth and final year of the designation. The program recognizes and supports cities with rich local cultural assets, enabling them to develop sustainable models to boost their local economies. 

Miryang is the birthplace of "Miryang Arirang," known for its faster rhythm compared to versions from Jindo and Jeongseon, and for lyrics that reflect the resistance and struggles of the Korean people. 

A student troupe from a local arts group specializing in "Miryang Arirang" staged an original musical performance titled "Look at Me," a well-known lyric from the folk song, at the symbolic venue of Miryang Hyanggyo, a National Treasure-designated Confucian school from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). 

"Ever since 'Arirang' was inscribed as Unesco's intangible cultural heritage in 2012, we have thought about how to properly pass it down to the children of the region so it remains relevant," Kim Keum-hee, artistic director of the troupe, said after the show on Thursday. "These children may not be technically as skilled as professionals, but the fact that local children perform 'Arirang' itself is meaningful."

Miryang is home to several clan villages of noble families dating back to the late Joseon era, many of which remain largely intact because the region avoided major battles during the 1950-53 Korean War and large-scale postwar development projects. 

Many hanok, or traditional Korean houses, have since been repurposed into hanok cafes and accommodations. Byeotnwi is one such venue serving as a cafe, gallery and performance hall. Some 64,000 visitors came to this venue last year, generating 100 million won ($67,000) in sales, the ministry says.

Feedback from locals  

Despite the region's promising prospects, local business owners say there is still room for improvement. 

“For young entrepreneurs like us to stay interested in culture, making ends meet is important,” said Park Jin-young, who runs a dumpling business in Miryang using local ingredients.

“In that sense, events like flea markets play a crucial role because they connect culture and business. There are only one or two flea market events promoted by the local government, and I wish there were more.”

Local bookstores also said selling books is hard as publishers and customers rapidly shift toward online retailers. The government has pushed policies that give local bookstores priority in supplying books to public and school libraries.

"When Han Kang won the Nobel Prize, we saw news reporting her books were selling out at major bookstores [in metropolitan areas], but local bookstores like ours could not get a single Han Kang book for nearly two weeks," said Shin Chan-seob, who runs Chunghak Bookshop. "Situations like this are very discouraging for us."

Chunghak Bookshop, one of the oldest bookstores in Miryang, has been operating since 1961. As the number of visitors to offline bookstores declines, the shop has introduced cultural programs such as bookstore concerts and talks to attract more customers.

"People need to read books, and this place needs to become where they come to buy them. Fundamentally, that foundation has collapsed. We will continue thinking together about what we need to do," Minister Chae said. 

BY JIN EUN-SOO [[email protected]]