Number of S. Koreans retiring to farms reaches record high in 2011

SEOUL, Jan. 11 (Yonhap) -- The number of South Koreans retiring to farming surged to a new annual high in 2011 thanks to local governments' efforts to attract retiring baby boomers, a report showed Wednesday.

According to the report by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the number of households returning to the countryside came to an estimated 6,500 in 2011, up 59.8 percent from 4,067 a year earlier.

The number had steadily increased since 2002 when only 769 people retired to a life of farming. The number exploded in 2008 when the country's baby boomers, born between 1955 and 1963, began to retire, according to the report.

Out of the 2010 total, 74.1 percent retired to farms in the southern Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces where land and housing are relatively cheaper than in areas closer to Seoul. Only 69 households, or 1.7 percent, moved to farms in Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the capital.

The exodus of baby boomers from cities is expected to continue for some time, according to the ministry, as a recent survey showed 66.3 percent of people in retirement ages wishing to resettle to farms, with 13.9 percent of them also saying they already have plans to move to farms within the next five to 10 years.

The ministry, however, warned of possible failures.

"A successful retirement to farming partly depends on support by local governments and their communities. The people returning to farms also need to keep in mind that it may take years of patience and hard working before their successful settlement," it said.