The number of South Koreans who changed their residence in 2014 rose from the year before, with the central region of the country reporting an influx of people, a government report showed Tuesday.

According to the tally taken by Statistics Korea, 7,629,000 people moved last year, up 217,000, or 2.9 percent, from a year earlier.

"Last year's increase marks the first rebound in the country's population movement since 2007," the statistical agency said.

It said that 67.1 percent of all movement took place within city and provincial boundaries, with 32.9 percent involving more long-distance changes.

The report said that Seoul, the largest city in South Korea as well as its capital, and other urban centers such as Busan, Daegu and Daejeon lost residents. In contrast, there was a sharp influx of people into Sejong, the new administrative city, Jeju Island and South Chungcheong Province.

Seoul lost 88,000 people last year, while Sejong gained 33,000, with Jeju adding 11,000.

The agency said most people left Seoul because of housing issues, while people who moved to Sejong and Jeju did so for employment reasons. (Yonhap)