In 1970, the net migrants, by subtracting out-migrants from in-migrants in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Busan, were positive (+), and the net migrants were negative (-) in other regions. During the 1980s and 1990s, net migrants increased in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, metropolitan cities, and the Yeongnam region due to urbanization and industrialization. Meanwhile, in Busan and Seoul, out-migrants outnumbered in-migrants due to the development of surrounding areas after the 1990s. Since 2000, the net migration rate has sharply decreased in Jeollanam-do, Jeollabok-do, and Gyeongsangbuk-do due to continuous population outflows. Since 2010, the Chungcheong region and Gangwon-do have recorded net inflows.

Two phenomena represent Korea's population migrations during the 50 years from 1970 to 2020. The first is from the Honam, Yeongnam, and Chungcheong regions to Seoul, and the second is from Seoul to Gyeonggi-do and Incheon. The migration from the Honam, Yeongnam, and Chungcheong regions to Seoul was particularly noticeable from the 1970s to the 1990s. The migration from Seoul to Gyeonggi-do and Incheon became pronounced after the 1990s. Looking at the pattern of net migration by period, Seoul has been a net out-migrant area since the 1990s, and its outflow has been headed to Gyeonggi-do and Incheon. The Gyeonggi and Incheon regions had net inflows for the entire period and from all regions, but since the 2010s, net outflows have occurred to the Chungcheong region and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. Gangwon-do had a lot of net out-migrants until the 2000s, but since the 2010s, it has recorded a net inflow. The Honam region recorded net outflows to all regions for the entire period except for the net inflows from the Yeongnam region in the 2010s. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Yeongnam region had a net outflow to the Seoul Metropolitan Area but a net inflow from all other regions. However, since the 1990s, net outflows to the Chungcheong region have also been recorded. Jeju Special Self-Governing Province had a net outflow until the 1980s. However, its migration inflows and outflows were generally balanced until the 2010s, and net inflows have been recorded for all regions since the 2010s.