- Incheon hosts event to celebrate the new administrative reform bill at the National Assembly -

- Bill will be hailed as a successful case of change and development, municipal autonomy, and decentralization of power -

On January 17, Incheon hosted an event celebrating the passage of its administrative reform bill at the National Assembly. 

More than 300 guests were in attendance, including Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, Incheon City Council Vice-Chairman Lee Bong-rak, National Assembly members Kim Kyo-heung and Heo Jong-sik, Jung-gu Office Governor Kim Jeong-heon, Dong-gu Office Governor Kim Chan-jin, Seo-gu Office Governor Kang Beom-seok, members of the Incheon Metropolitan City Council and Jung-gu, Dong-gu, and Seo-gu Councils, members of the Public Communication Council for Administrative Reform, and members of Incheon’s Senior Council.

The guests were given a chance to enjoy a variety of programs and attractions, such as a puzzle showing Incheon’s autonomous districts and drones carrying messages of encouragement. 

 <Event celebrating the passage of Incheon’s administrative reform bill at the National Assembly>

Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said, “The passage of our administrative reform bill by the National Assembly is a significant step in Incheon’s history and a bridgehead for new changes and development in Incheon. It will also be hailed as a successful milestone in the development of municipal autonomy and decentralization of power in Korea.” The Mayor added, “Now that a very important and big piece of the puzzle has been laid in Incheon’s leap forward as a world-class city where all citizens can be happy, we will actively promote custom-designed development plans for Jemulpo-gu, Yeongjong-gu, Seo-gu, and Geomdan-gu in line with the new administrative system.” 

Meanwhile, Incheon’s administrative system will go from two Gun and eight Gu districts, which has remained unchanged since March 1995, to two Gun and nine Gu districts on July 1, 2026. This merges Jung-gu and Dong-gu into Jemulpo-gu and Yeongjong-gu, respectively, while it splits Seo-gu into Seo-gu and Geomdan-gu. 

The bill went through the deliberation and resolution process at the National Assembly and passed the plenary session on January 9, more than seven months after Incheon's proposal. It is expected that the bill will soon be approved by the State Council and the President as well.