韓國首爾人口跌破千萬大關 房價飛漲是關鍵
The population of Seoul fell under 10m for the first time in nearly three decades due to soaring housing prices in the city.
因房價飛漲，首爾市的人口近30年來首次下降至1000萬以下。Seoul's population came to 9,995,784 as of the end of May, down 7,195 from a month earlier, according to the data released by the South Korean Ministry of the Interior. It has not dropped below the 10m mark since the capital became a mega city in 1988.
韓國內政部近日發佈的數據顯示，截至5月底，首爾的人口爲999.5784萬人，環比下降7195人。自1988年首都首爾成爲超大城市以來，該市人口從未跌破1000萬大關。The number has been decreasing for 15 consecutive months since March last year, according to data.
根據數據顯示，自去年3月以來，該數字已連續15個月下降。
"The drop below the symbolic 10-million mark in population is a new change," said Eun Ki-soo, a professor at Seoul National University. "Considering the decrease in overall population due to the nationwide low birthrate and exorbitant housing costs, it is unlikely that Seoul will be able to regain the 10-million mark down the road."
國立首爾大學的恩基秀教授表示：“人口下滑至里程碑性的千萬以下是一個新的轉變。鑑於韓國全國的出生率繼續走低及租房費用過高，今後首爾人口很難保持千萬水平”According to moving-in reports made by those who left Seoul, housing was the most frequently cited reason, said Lee Ji-yeon, an official at Statistics Korea.
韓國統計局官員李智妍表示，根據離開首爾的人所做的遷移報告，住房是他們最常提到的離開原因。"Previously, birthrate often contributed to the increase in Seoul's population, but now with the low birthrate trend, it (population) is mostly decided by people moving," she added.
李智妍補充道："以前出生率是首爾人口增長的主要原因，但如今，在低出生率的趨勢下，人口數量主要是由人口流動決定的。"The government's recent data showed that the fertility rate, or the average number of babies that a woman is projected to have during her lifetime, stood at 1.24 in 2014, well below the proper level of 1.8 needed to sustain the current population.
根據政府的最新數據顯示，生育率或者說一個女人一生中的平均生育數，在2014年是1.24，低於維持當前人口所需的適當水平：1.8。Meanwhile, the population in Gyeonggi Province, surrounding the capital, increased by 6.85 percent to some 12.5 million from 11.7 million in 2010, the data showed.
同時，根據數據顯示，地理上包圍首爾的京畿道的人口從2010年的1170萬人增加了6.85%，達到了1250萬。
