Incheon was first known as 'Michuhol'

Incheon emerged as an administrative district known as 'Maesohol-hyeon' during the reign of King Jangsu of Goguryeo (475 AD).

After Silla united the three kingdoms, the district was renamed as 'Soseong-hyeon' using Chinese characters during the reign of King Gyeongdeok of Silla. During the reign of King Sukjong of Goryeo (1095~1105 AD), the district was renamed and elevated as 'Gyeongwon-gun' because it was the birthplace of the King's mother.

Later on, during the reign of King Injong of Goryeo (1122~1146 AD), the district was elevated once more into 'Inju' since it was the birthplace of Queen Seondeok. Although ‘Inju’ was almost razed to the ground after an unsuccessful rebellion by Lee Ja-kyum,it was returned to ‘Gyeongwon-bu’ during the 2nd year of King Gongyang of Goryeo (1390 AD).

The district was restored because it was the so-called 'Childae Eohyang (the birthplace of seven generations of Kings)', a region intimately related to seven generations of Kings from King Munjong to King Injong of Goryeo. Once the Joseon Dynasty was established, 'Gyeongwon-bu' was reorganized as 'Inju' once again. However, during in the 13th year of King Taejong of Joseon, the royal court ordered every 'gun' and 'hyeon' (two county level districts) below the 'dohobu' administrative level with the word 'ju' in their names to incorporate either the word 'san (mountain)' or 'cheon (river)'. Hence, 'Inju' became 'Incheon' which remains the name for the district to this day. Incheon has chosen the very day the district was renamed as Incheon (October 15, 1413)as 'Incheon Citizen's Day'.

Incheon History

  • 1400's

    1413. 10. 15.

    Renamed from 「Inju」 to 「Incheon-gun」 during the 13th year of King Taejong of Joseon.

  • 1800's

    1883

    10 'myeon (suburb level administrative districts)' districts including 'Bunae', 'Meonugeum', 'Juan', 'Namchon', 'Jodong', 'Sinhyeon', 'Hwangdeungcheon', 'Jeonban', 'Ipo', and 'Daso' integrated into Incheon when Joseon opened up to foreigners.

    1895. 05. 26.

    Incheon-bu established as the 'Buje' system was implemented.

  • 1910's

    1914. 04. 01.

    Parts of Incheon-bu and Bupyeong-gun integrated to establish Bucheon-gun

    1914. 09. 01.

    Wolmido Island incorporated into Incheon-bu

  • 1930's

    1936. 10. 01.

    Parts of Daju-myeon and Munhak-myeon in Bucheon-gun incorporated into Incheon-bu.

  • 1940's

    1940. 04. 01.

    4 myeon districts including Munhak, Namdong, Bunae, and Seogot in Bucheon-gun integrated into Incheon-bu.

    1949. 08. 15.

    Renamed from Incheon-bu to Incheon-si after the enactment of the Local Government Act.

  • 1960's

    1963. 01. 01.

    Jakyakdo Island in Bucheon-gun incorporated into Incheon-si.

    1968. 01. 01.

    4 'gu (suburb level administrative districts)' districts established (Jung-gu, Nam-gu, Dong-gu, and Buk-gu) as the 'Guje' system was implemented.

    • Songwol-dong under the Northern local office's jurisdiction integrated into the Eastern local office to establish Jung-gu.
    • Northern local office and Eastern local office integrated to establish Dong-gu.
    • 4 local offices in Nambu, Juan, Munhak, Namdong integrated to establish Nam-gu.
    • Bupyeong local office and Seogot local office integrated to establish Buk-gu.
    • 7 administrative 'dong (neighborhood level administrative districts)' districts established including Namdong local office and Seogot local office. 《4 gu districts, 2 local offices, 66 dong districts》
  • 1970's

    1973. 07. 01.

    Wolmido Island in Dong-gu incorporated into Jung-gu.

  • 1980's

    1981. 07. 01.

    Separated from Gyeonggi Province and elevated into a 'Directly Governed City' by the central government.

    1988. 01. 01.

    2 gu districts established 《6 gu districts, 94 dong districts》.

    • Nam-gu (1 local office, 40 dong districts) subdivided into → Nam-gu (27 dong districts), Namdong-gu (13 dong districts).
    • Buk-gu (1 local office, 29 dong districts) subdivided into → Buk-gu (19 dong districts), Seo-gu (10 dong districts).
    1989. 01. 01.

    3 myeon districts from Gyeonggi Province integrated into Incheon Directly Governed City.

    • Yeongjong-myeon and Yongyu-myeon in Ongjin-gun, Gyeonggi Province → Jung-gu in Incheon Directly Governed City.
    • Gyeyang-myeon in Gimpo-gun, Gyeonggi Province → Buk-gu in Incheon Directly Governed City.
    • 3 administrative dong districts (Yeongjong-dong, Yongyu-dong, Gyeyang-dong established 《6 gu districts, 97 dong districts》.
  • 1990's

    1995. 01. 01.

    Renamed from Incheon Directly Governed City to Incheon Metropolitan City.

    1995. 03. 01.

    2 autonomous districts established.

    • Buk-gu (32 dong districts) subdivided into → Bupyeong-gu (21 dong districts), Gyeyang-gu (11 dong districts).
    • Nam-gu (31 dong districts) subdivided into → Nam-gu (23 dong districts), Yeonsu-gu (8 dong districts).

    Realignment of City and Province borders.

    • Part of Seoun-dong in Buk-gu integrated into → Bucheon-si in Gyeonggi Province.
    • Ganghwa-gun (1 eup district, 12 myeon district), Ongjin-gun (7 myeon districts), and Geomdan-myeon in Gimpo-gun from Gyeonggi Province integrated into Incheon Metropolitan City.《2 gun districts, 8 gu districts, 1 eup district, 19 myeon districts,124dong districts》
    1998. 10. 10. ~ 11. 10.

    Merger of small dong districts (reduced to 1 eup districts, 19 myeon districts, 116 dong districts).

  • 2000's

    2001. 12. 28.

    Geomdan-dong in Seo-gu subdivided into Geomdan 1-dong and Geomdan 2-dong.

    2003. 03. 01.

    Ongnyeon-dong in Yeonsu-gu subdivided into Ongnyeon 1-dong and Ongnyeon 2-dong.
    Gyesan 3-dong in Gyeyang-gu subdivided into Gyesan 3-dong and Gyesan 4-dong.

    2005. 08. 12.

    Geomdan 1-dong and Geomdan 2-dong in Seo-gu subdivided into Geomdan 1-dong, Geomdan 2-dong, and Geomdan 3-dong.

    2005. 12. 30.

    Samsan-dong in Bupyeong-gu subdivided into Samsan 1-dong and Samsan 2-dong.

    2006. 09. 01.

    Geomdan 1-dong in Seo-gu subdivided into Geomdan 1-dong and Geomdan 4-dong.

    2006. 11. 26.

    Realignment of jurisdiction between Jung-gu and Dong-gu.

    • Parts of Jeon-dong and Inhyeon-dong in Jung-gu integrated into → Hwapyeong-dong in Dong-gu.
    • Parts of Inhyeon-dong in Jung-gu integrated into → Songhyeon-dong in Dong-gu.
    2007. 01. 01.

    Dongchun 2-dong in Yeonsu-gu subdivided into Dongchun 2-dong and Songdo-dong.

    2009. 02. 01.

    Merger of small dong districts in Nam-gu.

    • Sungui 1-dong, Sungui 3-dong → Sungui 1·3-dong
    • Yonghyeon 1-dong, Yonghyeon 4-dong → Yonghyeon 1·4-dong
    • Dohwa 2-dong, Dohwa 3-dong → Dohwa 2·3-dong
    2009. 07. 20.

    Nonhyeongojan-dong in Namdong-gu subdivided into Nonhyeon-dong and Nonhyeongojan-dong.

  • 2010's

    2010. 06. 10.

    Cheongna-dong established in Seo-gu.

    • Parts of Gyeongseo-dong, Yeonhui-dong, Wonchang-dong → Cheongna-dong
    2011. 05. 20.

    Nonhyeon-dong in Namdong-gu renamed as Nonhyeon 1-dong.
    Nonhyeongojan-dong subdivided into Nonhyeon 2-dong and Nonhyeongojan-dong.

    2012. 01. 01.

    Songdo-dong in Yeonsu-gu subdivided into Songdo 1-dong and Songdo 2-dong.
    Yeongjong-dong in Jung-gu subdivided into Yeongjong-dong and Unseo-dong.
    (2 gun districts, 8 gu districts, 1 eup district, 19 myeon districts, and 125 dong districts)

    2012. 07. 09.

    Cheongna-dong (Seo-gu) partitioned into Cheongna 1-dong and Cheongna 2-dong.
    (2 Gun, 8 Gu, 1 Eup, 19 Myeon, 126 Dong administrative districts)

    2013. 07. 05.

    Geomdan 1-dong (Seo-gu) partitioned into Geomdan 1-dong and Geomdan 5-dong.
    (2 Gun, 8 Gu, 1 Eup, 19 Myeon, 127 Dong administrative districts)

    2014. 09. 24.

    Songdo 1-dong (Yeonsu-gu) partitioned into Songdo 1-dong and Songdo 3-dong.
    (2 Gun, 8 Gu, 1 Eup, 19 Myeon, 128 Dong administrative districts)

    2015. 04. 01.

    Gyeyang 1-dong (Gyeyang-gu) partitioned into Gyeyang 1-dong and Gyeyang 3-dong.
    (2 Gun, 8 Gu, 1 Eup, 19 Myeon, 129 Dong administrative districts)

    2015. 07. 31.

    Administrative redistricting (Dong districts) of Namdong-gu

    • Parts of Guwol 1-dong → Incorporated into Guwol 3-dong
    • Parts of Mansu 2-dong → Incorporated into Mansu 4-dong
    2016. 03. 02.

    Redistricting of Legal Dong districts in Seo-gu
    Parts of Yeonhui-dong, Gajeong-dong, Sinhyeon-dong, and Wonchang-dong redistricted

    2016. 03. 02.

    Legal Dong district designated as a new landfill site (using soil dredged from the Gyeongin Ara Waterway: North Incheon Complex)
    Legal Dong district: Gyeongseo-dong, Administrative Dong district: Geomamgyeongseo-dong

    2016. 07. 01.

    Cheongna 2-dong (Seo-gu) partitioned into Cheongna 2-dong and Cheongna 3-dong.
    (2 Gun, 8 Gu, 1 Eup, 19 Myeon, 130 Dong administrative districts)

    2017. 03. 31.

    Redistriscting between Nam-gu, Dong-gu, and Namdong-gu

    • Parts of Juan-dong, Nam-gu → Incorporated into Ganseok-dong, Namdong-gu
    • Parts of Sungui-dong and Dohwa-dong, Nam-gu → Incorporated into Changyeong-dong and Songnim-dong, Dong-gu
    2018. 01. 01.

    Yeongjong-dong (Jung-gu) partioned into Yeongjong-dong and Yeongjong 1-dong.
    (2 Gun, 8 Gu, 1 Eup, 19 Myeon, 131 Dong administrative districts)

    2018. 07. 01.

    Nam-gu renamed as Michuhol-gu

    • Parts of Sungui 1, 2, and 3-dong, Michuhol-gu → Incorporated into Yonghyeon 2-dong
    • Parts of Hagik 1-dong, Michuhol-gu → Incorporated into Yonghyeon 1, 4-dong

    Seo-gu Dong renamed

    • Geomdan 1-dong → Geomdan-dong
    • Geomdan 2-dong → Bullodaegok-dong
    • Geomdan 3-dong → Wondang-dong
    • Geomdan 4-dong → Dangha-dong
    • Geomdan 5-dong → Oryuwanggil-dong
    2018. 11. 05.

    Jangsuseochang-dong (Namdong-gu) partitioned into Jangsuseochang-dong and Seochang 2-dong.
    (2 Gun, 8 Gu, 1 Eup, 19 Myeon, 132 Dong administrative districts)

    2019. 01. 01.

    Songdo 2-dong (Yeonsu-gu) partitioned into Songdo 2-dong and Songdo 4-dong.
    (2 Gun, 8 Gu, 1 Eup, 19 Myeon, 133 Dong administrative districts)

    2019. 11. 04.

    Dangha-dong (Seo-gu) partitioned into Dangha-dong and Majeon-dong.
    (2 Gun, 8 Gu, 1 Eup, 19 Myeon, 134 Dong administrative districts)

  • 2020's

    2020. 10. 26.

    Songdo 4-dong (Yeonsu-gu) partitioned into Songdo 4-dong and Songdo 5-dong.
    (2 Gun, 8 Gu, 1 Eup, 19 Myeon, 135 Dong administrative districts)