The number of South Koreans relocating fell to approximately 471,000 in August, its lowest figure for that month since 1973, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics. Officials attributed the decline to a sluggish housing market, with home transactions dropping 4.4 percent year-on-year in June and July, while newly completed apartment units fell sharply by 29.1 percent over the same period. Regional data showed a net outflow from Seoul as residents continued to shift toward surrounding areas, particularly Gyeonggi Province (the densely populated region encircling the capital), which recorded the largest net inflow of nearly 4,500 people.