Capturing the Daily Lives and Culture of Young Generation in Depopulation Risk Areas

The younger generation places great importance on work-life balance and considers it a significant value when choosing a job. According to previous research, regional communities, especially those at risk of depopulation, show a significant gap in living and cultural infrastructure compared to Seoul and the metropolitan area. This disparity between regional communities and Seoul/the metropolitan area can accelerate the migration of young people living in these regions. Nevertheless, there are still cases where young people temporarily move into the area due to reasons such as education or employment. However, discussions about these temporarily incoming young people from outside do not seem to be actively taking place.

This study aims to examine why young people who move into the community for such reasons end up leaving again. By closely looking into their daily experiences, the study seeks to understand why young people residing in the community or those with migration experiences decide to stay in or leave the region. It is necessary to closely examine how young people living in areas at risk of depopulation are living their daily lives through their vivid voices, and to understand what they want and how they feel about their lives in their current regions by directly listening to their voices. To this end, the most suitable research method is 'Photovoice.' 'Photovoice' is a method from visual sociology, where research participants, often from socially marginalized groups use visual methods such as photographs or videos to express their perspectives(Wang & Burris, 1997). Thus, this study aims to use Photovoice to collect stories about how young people currently living in depopulation-risk areas experience their daily lives. Based on this, the study seeks to identify and analyze the needs for improving the quality of life through the daily culture of young people in these regions.