[COVER STORY ①]
TO A BETTER ISLAND TO LIVE!
INCHEON ISLANDS, WHERE THE SEA OF CHANGE ROLLS
Islands, with their distinct borders and unique allure, have long been overlooked in the name of development. As a result, the younger generation migrated to urban areas, leaving the elderly to maintain the islands on their own. Incheon has intervened to preserve these islands. In this edition, we present Incheon’s Islands, which are evolving into a community where residents can thrive and a destination that appeals to all.
Improving the living conditions of Incheon’s island areas, including Seonjaedo and Molseom islands
IMPROVING THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF ISLAND AREAS FOR CONVENIENT LIVING
Incheon has set the direction to protect the island as a sustainable Incheon island where everyone wants to live and established a basic plan for its realization. The development policies and support projects that have been promoted so far have been reexamined from the residents’ perspective, and projects that can increase the possibility of realization have been prepared. This is not just a short-term fix, but a long-term vision for the islands, ensuring a bright future for generations to come.
The islands included in the basic plan for Incheon Island development are 31 out of 40 inhabited islands, excluding eight with island-land bridges, such as Ganghwa Island and Yeongheung Island. The plan centers on strategies such as a ‘settlement environment’ to create an island where people want to live, a ‘local economy’ that can become a foundation for life, and ‘transportation and accessibility, culture and tourism’ for a sustainable island. In particular, customized strategies that reflect the characteristics of each island were established by evaluating the island’s development level, resources, population characteristics, industrial base, and settlement environment by area. The plan was not just a top-down approach, but a collaborative effort where experts, related public officials, and island residents all had a say, focusing on the most needed areas. A total of 42 projects have been prepared, including 11 projects for the residential environment, 10 projects for the regional economy, 11 projects for transportation and accessibility, and 10 projects for culture and tourism, and they are scheduled to proceed without a hitch until 2026.
1Primary Care Hospital for Each island, MOU Signing Ceremony for Public-Private Cooperation
Expanding the free medical treatment through public-private cooperation, ‘1 Primary Care Hospital for Each Island’
o Details: Expanding the free medical treatment by connecting one island with one hospital to ensure the health rights of residents of the islands within the Ganghwa and Ongjin regions, the only medically vulnerable areas among metropolitan cities
· Progress: 3 hospitals in 2022 → 6 hospitals in 2023 (3 more) → ten hospitals in 2024 (4 more)
[2024 Status of 1 Island 1 Primary Care Hospital]
| Region(Island) | Daecheong-myeon/Baekryeong-myeon(Daecheong-do, Baekryeong-do) | Jawol-myeon(Seungbong, Daeijak, Soijak) | Deokjeok-myeon(Deokjeok-do) | Yeonpyeong-myeon(Yeonpyeong-do) | Ganghwa Seodo-myeon(Jumundo) | Bukdo-myeon(Jangbongdo) | Jawol-myeon(Jawol-do) | Bukdo-myeon(Sin·si·modo) | Deokjeok-myeon(Baeka, Uldo, Jido) | Deokjeok-myeon(Mungap, Guleop) |
|---|
| Hospital | Inha University Hospital | Gil Hospital | Incheon Sejong | Incheon Seongmo | International Seongmo | Naeun Hospital | Hallim Hospital | New Sungmin Hospital | Hyundai Yubis | Christian Hospital |
Providing island residents with free medical treatment
Expanding support for collective LPG supply facilities in border areas and rural areas
o Details: Support for installation of village-level collective LPG supply facilities that supply fuel through pipelines to border areas and rural areas where it is difficult to supply city gas
o Border areas
· Support Facilities: LPG pipeline network construction, storage tanks, and gas supply facilities
· Size: 1,084 households in Yeonpyeong-myeon
o Rural areas
· Support facilities: LPG small storage tanks, underground pipelines, gas boilers for each household
· Size: 1,151 households in 7 villages on three islands (Deokjeokdo, Baeknyeongdo, Jawoldo)
First tap water supply in Bukdo-myeon, Ongjin-gun, in 116 years since the construction of Songhyeon Reservoir
o Details: Resolving the chronic water shortage in Bukdo-myeon (Sindo, Sido, Modo, Jangbongdo) in Ongjin-gun by connecting the local undersea water supply pipeline (Yeongjong-Sindo-Jangbong)
· Promotion Plan: 40 households in Sindo 2-ri in 2023 → 358 households (38%) in Sido and Jangbong 2-ri in 2024 → 1,194 households (100%) in all of Bukdo-myeon in 2025
Developing a stable water supply system, double-tracking of Yeongjong-Ganghwado water pipelines
o Yeongjongdo underwater pipeline
· Size: D 1,200㎜, 3.42㎞
· Project Period: Start in 2021,
· completion in 2025
o Ganghwado alternative water pipeline
· Size: D 500~700㎜, 17.2㎞
· Project Period: Start in 2024,
· completion in 2027
Simnipo Beach Coastal Trail
ESTABLISHING INFRASTRUCTURE TO VITALIZE ISLAND TOURISM FOR A VIBRANT DAILY LIFE
To make an island livable, it must be revitalized. Incheon has promoted the ‘Base Island Revitalization Plan Establishment Service’ to establish differentiated content and develop businesses unique to Incheon Islands. This service aims to vitalize the tourism industry of Incheon Island, overcome population decline, and invigorate the local economy. It was implemented based on regional research data, including five islands in the West Sea, Ganghwado, and Deokjeokdo/Jawoldo areas.
In addition, Incheon strives to operate tourism packages that utilize Incheon Island’s ecological, historical, and cultural resources. In line with this, the direction is to focus on the expandability of existing businesses, establish basic plans, and establish implementation plans for leading and additional projects.
In addition, Baeknyeongdo Island was selected as the ‘K-tourism island you want to visit’ through a public contest by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism last year and is being developed into a tourist resort embracing nature. Tourism development projects are being actively promoted for Incheon’s islands, such as the opening of the Jawoldo Astronomical Science Museum and the selection of Daejakdo to implement the Incheon Islands Tourism Development Project.
An island with tidal flat ecology, leisure, and resting spaces
o Details: A local, coexisting marine water-friendly space for a short trip that can be enjoyed in the vicinity
① Janggyeong-ri
· Beach - Nongeo Bawi coastal trail construction project
· Location: Naeri, Yeongheung-myeon, Ongjin-gun
· Project Period: 2021-2024
② Simnipo coastal trail
· construction project
· Location: Naeri, Yeongheung-myeon, Ongjin-gun
· Project Period: 2021-2024
③ Seonjae-do
· Neotchulhang - Deumuri Beach coastal trail construction project
· Location: Seonjae-ri, Yeongheung-myeon, Ongjin-gun
· Project Period: 2022-2024
Construction of Dullegil Trail ‘Anyone Wants to Walk’ on NLL (Northern Limit Line) Peace Eco Island
· Project Period: 2023~2026
· Location: Bukdo-myeon (Sindo, Sido, and Modo Islands), Baekryeong-myeon (Baekryeongdo)
· Length: 16.3㎞ (Bukdo-myeon 5.1㎞, Baekryeong-myeon 11.2㎞)
Developing K-tourism islands that anyone wants to visit
o Details: Developing Baekryeong Island’s history, culture, geology, and ecotourism into world-class tourism content to create an attractive tourist attraction that people from all over the world want to visit
· Project Period: 2023~2026
· Main Projects: Creating a tourism and culture hub space at Yonggi Port, creating Baekryeong Island’s coastal trail, operating Baekryeong Island Tourism University, island branding and promotional marketing, fostering island tourism resident businesses, and building a network
Developing island tourism content associated with Incheon Catholic pilgrimage sites
o Details: Developing and operating religious pilgrimage tour packages that associate historical and religious sites of Incheon’s islands with island tours to vitalize the island tourism and improve the awareness of Incheon’s islands
· Location: Baekryeongdo, Daecheongdo, Socheongdo, and Deokjeokdo Islands
· Main Details: ‘Father Kim Dae-geon, Footsteps of the Last Voyage,’ ‘Baekryeong Island Public Office Pilgrimage Route,’ Schweitzer of West Coast, ‘Father Choi Bun-do’s Footsteps’
· Progress: December 2023 Incheon, Incheon Catholic Diocese, Incheon Tourism Organization Business Agreement
