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Origin & History

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Michuhol, Incheon’s Original Name from the Three Kingdoms Period The Michuhol region became a district of Goguryeo Kingdom under the reign of King Jangsu in 475 AD.
The district was referred to as Maesohol-hyeon, until it was renamed Soseong-hyeon following the unification of the three kingdoms, under the rule of King Gyeongdeok. At the time of King Sukjong (1095-1105 AD) of the Goryeo Dynasty, this area, which was the birthplace of the family of the king’s mother, was granted a higher administrative status, and

renamed Gyeongwon-gun. Subsequently, under the reign of King Injong (1122-1146), the district was again moved up the hierarchy of administrative division system, this time in honor of the Lee clan of Gyeongwon (Inju), the king’s mother’s family, and renamed Inju. Following the rebellion of Lee Ja-gyeom, the clan was severely weakened. In the 2nd year of King Gongyang (1390), the name Inju was discarded in favor of its earlier name, Gyeongwon-bu.

The region had close ties to Goryeo’s royal house over seven successive reigns, garnering the nickname ‘Childaeeohyang’ (meaning literally ‘royal homestead for seven generations’).
With the founding of the Joseon Dynasty, Incheon was assigned a lesser status, with its name changed back to Inju. Its present name, Incheon, was given in the 13th year of King Taejong (October 15, 1413), when the suffix ‘ju’ was replaced by ‘cheon’ or ‘san’ for administrative units lesser than dohobu.
Citizens’ Day is commemorated in Incheon on October 15th each year.

Incheon history
1400’s
  • 1413. 10. 15Inju renamed to Incheon-gun in the 13th year of King Taejong’s
    reign during Joseon period.
1800’s
  • 1883. 01. 01 Port opened
1910’s
  • 1910Incheon-bu was established
  • 1914. 03. 01Part of Incheon-bu and Bupyeong-gun were merged to form
    Bucheon-gun
  • 1914. 09. 01Wolmi-do merged with Incheon-bu
1940’s
  • 1949. 08. 15Incheon City reorganized
1960’s
  • 1962. 05. 2157 administrative dongs
  • 1962. 09. 012 additional administrative dongs (59 dongs in total)
  • 1963. 01. 01Jakyakdo Island in Bucheon-gun merged with Incheon
  • 1968. 01. 014 additional wards, 2 offices, and 7 administrative dongs
    (66 dongs in total)
1970’s
  • 1970. 07. 019 additional administrative dongs (75 dongs in total)
  • 1979. 01. 011 additional administrative dong (76 dongs in total)
  • 1979. 05. 013 additional administrative dongs (79 dongs in total)
1980’s
  • 1981. 07. 01Became Incheon City (Under the direct control of the government)
  • 1982. 09. 016 additional administrative districts (85 dongs in total)
  • 1983. 10. 012 additional administrative dongs (87 dongs in total)
  • 1985. 11. 052 administrative dongs merged; 7 additional administrative dongs
    (93 dongs in total)
  • 1987. 06. 151 additional administrative dong (94 dongs in total)
  • 1988. 01. 012 additional administrative dongs (6 wards in total)
  • 1989. 01. 01Yeongjong-dong, Yongyu-dong, and Gyeyang-dong became part of
    Incheon (6 wards, 3 offices, 97 dongs in total)
  • 1989. 05. 011 additional administrative dong (98 dongs in total)
1990’s
  • 1990. 01. 015 additional administrative dongs (103 dongs in total)
  • 1990. 05. 013 additional administrative dongs (106 dongs in total)
  • 1991. 08. 055 additional administrative dongs (111 dongs in total)
  • 1992. 09. 013 additional administrative dongs (114 dongs in total)
  • 1992. 09. 051 additional administrative dong (115 dongs in total)
  • 1993. 12. 013 additional administrative dongs (118 dongs in total)
  • 1994. 07. 015 additional administrative dongs (123 dongs in total)
  • 1995. 01. 01Incheon City renamed to Incheon Metropolitan City
  • 1995. 03. 01ㆍGanghwa-gun, Ongjin-gun, Gimpo-gun, and Geomdan-myeon
       merged with Incheon Metropolitan City
    ㆍ2 wards separated from Incheon
    ㆍ2 additional administrative dongs
       (8 wards, 2 guns, 1 eup, 19 myeons, and 126 dongs in total)
  • 1996. 01. 011 additional administrative dongs (127 dongs in total)
  • 1996. 03. 011 additional administrative dongs (128 dongs in total)
    (8 wards, 2 guns, 1 eup, 19 myeons, and 128 dongs in total)
  • 1998. 11. 01The total number of dongs was reduced by 12 dongs due to the
    integration of small sized dongs (116 dongs in total)
    (8 wards, 2 guns, 1 eup, 19 myeons, and 116 dongs in total)
2000’s
  • 2002. 01. 01Geomdan 1-dong of Seo-gu divided
  • 2003. 03. 01(Geomdan 1-dong, Geomdan 2-dong)
    Okryeon 2-dong of Yeonsu-gu and Gyesan 4-dong of Gyeyang-gu
    divided (8 wards, 2 guns, 1 eup, 19 myeons, and 119 dongs in tota
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