- On July 11 (Tue), all three parties meet and sign the “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation to Create a Co-living Space in the Metropolitan Area” -

- Incheon, Seoul, and Gyeonggi-di agree to address ten common issues, including the disposal of waste from the metropolitan area, and building a wide-area transportation network - 

- New MOU could become a driving force in solving critical issues and improving the quality of life in the metropolitan area -

Incheon, Seoul, and Gyeonggi-do have decided to address common issues in the metropolitan area, including waste disposal and the construction of a wide-area transportation network, together.

Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, and Gyeonggi-do Governor Kim Dong-yeon met in Suwon (Dodamso) on July 11 to sign the “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation to Create a Co-living Space in the Metropolitan Area.”

<Signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation to Create a Co-living Space in the Metropolitan Area between Gyeonggi-do, Seoul, and Incheon> 

As part of this new initiative, Incheon, Seoul, and Gyeonggi-do will look to establish a “co-living” zone, and find new ways together to improve the quality of life of residents across the metropolitan area by establishing a foundation of mutual trust between the three municipalities. 

According to the MOU, all three parties agreed to help solve ten common issues pending in the metropolitan area. These ten issues are: ▲Stable and efficient waste management in the metropolitan area; ▲Resolving railway/subway issues and promoting the arterial road network project in the metropolitan area; ▲Bringing the Gyeongin and Gyeongbu Line underground; ▲Introducing eco-friendly metropolitan buses, expanding inter-city bus routes, and adding more late-night bus services; ▲ Amending/abolishing outdated and unreasonable metropolitan area regulations; ▲Offering mutual support for international sports and international events; ▲ Expanding the infrastructure to help revitalize Gyeongin Ara Waterway, and restoring Yellow Sea waterways; ▲ Developing more competitive tourism content and programs; ▲ Strengthening cooperation in preparation for major disasters; ▲Coordinating changes in other areas of cooperation through mutual agreements. 

Incheon, Seoul, and Gyeonggi-do are committed to working together based on the previous 4-party agreement on the metropolitan area landfill policy to reduce the amount of waste generated in the metropolitan area and process waste in a more stable and efficient manner. The three parties also plan to speed up the GTX project, and explore the possibility of building a new inter-city railway/subway network and/or a new metropolitan area arterial road network. 

Furthermore, the three partners will lend their support for international sporting and other events hosted in the metropolitan area (joint use of facilities and joint marketing). Injecting new life into the Gyeongin Ara Waterway from the Hangang River and restoring the infrastructure along the west coast to re-open waterways through the Yellow Sea are also areas that Incheon, Seoul, and Gyeonggi plan to work on together. 

Previously, Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, and Gyeonggi-do Governor Kim Dong-yeon first met in July of last year at the Gimpor Marina. They followed this up with two other meetings in September 2022 (Wolmido Island, Incheon) and February 2023 (Noedeulseom Island, Seoul). The three parties agreed to work together on resolving pending issues in the metropolitan area regardless of political leanings, and this latest MOU is the next step in their cooperation.

With this agreement, Incheon, Seoul, and Gyeonggi-do have laid the foundation for cooperation to improve the quality of life of residents in the metropolitan area and make all three municipalities much more competitive globally.

Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said, “The fact that this meeting between Incheon, Seoul, and Gyeonggi-do in the metropolitan area is attracting so much attention means that there are indeed plenty of important issues that need to be discussed and resolved. We need to approach these problems with the same objective of putting our people and country first. That is the only way Incheon, along with Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, can find great solutions and policies that satisfy everyone in the metropolitan area.”

Gyeonggi-do Governor Kim Dong-yeon said, “After just three meetings, we have taken a massive leap forward by way of signing an MOU. Going forward, we will find better solutions to make commuting much easier for the 26 million residents in the metropolitan area, improve regulations that unfairly discriminate against the metropolitan area, and establish a cooperative system for mutual support in case of major disasters. The key to the success of this initiative will be the drive and commitment between the three partners to push things forward and produce real results.” 

Meanwhile, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, “Issues that transcend the boundaries of administrative districts can be difficult to solve by any one municipal administration. However, if all three partners continue to meet and work together toward the common goal of addressing grievances and improving the happiness of metropolitan area residents, no issue will be too complicated for us to solve. We will do our best to create a metropolitan area where all residents are happy, and we will help usher in a new era where Incheon, Seoul, and Gyeonggi-do all offer great places to live.”