Precision medical hospitalto pioneer a new medical paradigm for the future The new Songdo Severance Hospitalis expected to bring significant improvements to the quality of medicalservices in Songdo, and help build an ecosystem that interfaces corporations,academia, research institutes, and hospitals at the Songdo Bio Cluster. The Incheon Free Economic ZoneAuthority led a groundbreaking ceremony for the Songdo Severance Hospital onDecember 28, 2022, with the Yonsei University Health System at the project site(85, Songdo Gwahak-ro, Songdo-dong) inside Yonsei University’s InternationalCampus in Songdo International City. ▲ The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority led a groundbreakingceremony for the Songdo Severance Hospital on December 28, 2022, with theYonsei University Health System at the project site (85, Songdo Gwahak-ro,Songdo-dong) inside Yonsei University’s International Campus in SongdoInternational City. More than 250 guests attended theevent, including Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, Incheon City Council ChairpersonHuh Sik, National Assembly member Jeong Il-yeong, Incheon Free Economic ZoneAuthority Commissioner Kim Jin-yong, Yonsei University Chairperson HuhDong-soo, Yonsei University Chancellor Seo Seung-hwan, Medical Center DirectorYoon Dong-seop, as well as representatives of various bio corporations andlocal residents to celebrate the momentous occasion. The Songdo Severance Hospital,expected to open sometime in December 2026, will feature a main building with15 stories above ground, three stories below ground, and 800 hospital beds(total land area: 85,800m 2 ) inside the Yonsei UniversityInternational Campus in Songdo International City. Designing the hospitalstarted in February of last year, and a groundbreaking ceremony recently gotunder way as the developer successfully acquired its building permits. The Songdo Severance Hospitalwill be a high-precision medical hospital that pioneers the paradigm of futuremedical care by providing the best medi

China IFEZ Trade Office movesto Wisdom Valley in Weihai City, the optimal location that can enhance itsfunctional capacities The China IFEZ Trade Office(hereinafter “China IFEZ”) is gearing up for its next leap forward with a newhome. Incheon announced that it hostedan opening ceremony on December 27, 2022, for China IFEZ, which recently movedto Wisdom Valley inside the Economic and Technological Development Zone, WeihaiCity. ▲ China IFEZ in Weihai City, which serves as a forward base forIFEZ in China, recently moved its office to Wisdom Valley inside the Economicand Technological Development Zone, Weihai City. Previously, when China IFEZ firstopened back in 2016, the opening ceremony was attended by more than 50officials from both countries, including key officials from the Weihai CityGovernment, representatives of Korean municipal organizations in China,representatives of local corporations in Incheon, and Korean expatriates inChina. China IFEZ, which was establishedon November 1, 2016, in the Huanqu District (Weihai City), moved to WisdomValley, Economic and Technological Development Zone on November 1, 2022. The new China IFEZ office,measuring 592.32 ㎡ , features a PR hall (Incheon, IFEZ), permanent exhibition hall,live broadcasting studio, video conferencing room, export/investment consultingand business support office (2 rooms), education (immersive training) room, andadministrative office spaces. Meanwhile, the Weihai CityGovernment is promoting the Wisdom Valley Industrial Complex as a landmark foreconomic exchange. The City is hoping to establish an e-commerce industrialcluster, a smart manufacturing industrial complex, and an industrial complexfor innovative startups from Korea and China. This makes Wisdom Valley theperfect place for China IFEZ to build its capacities tailored to the future. Going forward, China IFEZ plansto focus on initiatives linked to the local online market, such as e-commerce,overseas direct purchasing, Wanghong broadcasting

▲ To celebrate the New Year, Kim Jin-yong, Commissioner of theIncheon Free Economic Zone Authority, and Kim Yeon-jung, Director of theCheongna-Yeongjong Project at the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), metat the construction site for Cheongna International City’s new City Towerproject to reiterate their commitment towards bringing the City Tower projectback on track. Bird's eye view of the Cheongna City Tower. To celebrate the New Year, KimJin-yong, Commissioner of the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, and KimYeon-jung, Director of the Cheongna-Yeongjong Project at the Korea Land andHousing Corporation (LH), met at the construction site for CheongnaInternational City’s new City Tower project to reiterate their commitmenttowards bringing the City Tower project back on track. Given the massive obstaclesthreatening to derail the Cheongna City Tower project, this latest meetingbetween the two partners - the IFEZ Authority and LH - is an encouraging signthat shows the Cheongna City Tower is indeed the first order of business forIncheon and the Korean government. Commissioner Kim congratulatedDirector Kim Yeon-jung on being entrusted to lead the project again this year,and shared his thoughts on the progress the Cheongna City Tower has shown sofar. He also said that the IFEZ Authority and LH should work in lock-step tosolve the myriad of problems at hand and proceed with the project as originallyplanned. In particular, the Commissioner added that he is well aware of howimportant the Cheongna City Tower project is, which is something Cheongna’sresidents have yearned for a very long time, and will do his absolute best tobring the project back on track as quickly as possible. The IFEZ Authority is concernedabout project delays caused by differences in sharing additional constructioncosts for the Cheongna City Tower between LH, which commissioned the project,and Cheongna City Tower Co., Ltd., the Special Purpose Corporation (SPC)serving as the developer of

▲ Based on I-MOD traffic data over the past year, SongdoInternational City divided its districts east and west to reorganize its busroutes. Here, it used the Korea Coast Guard office, which turned out to be themost frequently used destination for local residents, as a central axis.Moreover, the City added four more buses for its Circular 41 and Circular 42buses each, bringing the total to a dozen buses for each route. With its Smart Challenge PilotProject (I-MOD) ending on December 31, 2022, Incheon has developed solutions toaddress some of the inconveniences experienced by its residents in Songdo andYeongjong International Cities, both of which had been hosting the I-MODinitiative. Based on results from analyzingmobile communication data and I-MOD traffic over the past year for theintra-city circular bus route, Songdo International City divided its districtseast and west to reorganize its bus routes. Here, it used the Korea Coast Guardoffice, which turned out to be the most frequently used destination for localresidents, as a central axis. Moreover, Incheon added four more buses for itsCircular 41 and Circular 42 buses each, bringing the total to a dozen buses foreach route. Service intervals will also go from 18~24 minutes to 23~28 minutesand from 13~17 minutes to 12~16 minutes, respectively. Meanwhile, YeongjongInternational City created a new public bus route and assigned five buses. Also, in order to preparefundamental solutions that can improve public transportation in neighborhoodswith poor access to transportation options across Songdo International City andYeongjong International City, Incheon launched an internal review onestablishing additional bus routes and adding more buses to service existingroutes. ▲ New route for bus no. 41

City to focus ondeveloping connected car technology and establish a new organization supportingrelated certifications Incheon is a pioneer inthe automobile industry. Some may question the city’s credentials in the autoindustry, yet a closer look at Incheon’s history in the Korean automobileindustry reveals just how important the city has been to the development ofcars in Korea. In August 1962, with the establishment of Korea's first modern automobilefactory in Bupyeong, Incheon left an indelible mark in the Korean automobileindustry, and at the same time, became a nursing ground for Korean automakers. ▲ Incheon MetropolitanCity developed what it calls the “Comprehensive Plan for Fostering the FutureAutomobile Industry of Incheon,” which involves investing KRW 110.4 billionover five years to restructure the auto parts industry, one of the region's keyindustries, by upgrading related technology in a way that better responds tofuture mobility, and to make Incheon a hub of the future automobileindustry.(Image is a rendering of a future car.) In fact, at the veryfoundation of Incheon's manufacturing industry is the automobile industry. Theautomobile industry ranks second in Incheon's manufacturing sector, but theautomobile market is shrinking by 5% in size every year due to the recentshrinking of the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle market. This is aclear sign that the automobile market is possibly entering a recession, whichmeans the City’s priority should be to restructure the industry and focus moreon future modes of mobility. In order to shift theparadigm of the industrial structure and nurture companies for the futureautomobile industry, the City Government is hastening the conversion of autoparts companies across Incheon to future car-related businesses. At present, itis estimated that there are 628 auto parts companies in Incheon. Several ofthese companies, however, are producing parts for ICE vehicles, which meansthey are ill-equipped to resp

40 tons exported next yearfor retail across the Korean community in Canada “Ganghwa Sum Ssal,”Incheon's flagship rice brand, is on its way to Canada. On December 9 (Friday),the Incheon Metropolitan City Government hosted an event to celebrate theloading of “Ganghwa Sum Ssal” rice (20 tons) at the Nonghyup Rice ProducerCooperative (RPC) Square in Ganghwa-gun, and marked the first batch of Incheonrice exported overseas. This first batch, 20 tons, will leave Busan Port onDecember 12 and travel all the way to Canada. ▲ “Ganghwa Sum Ssal,” Incheon'sflagship rice brand, is on its way to Canada. On December 9 (Friday), theIncheon Metropolitan City Government hosted an event to celebrate the loadingof “Ganghwa Sum Ssal” 20t Inquiries tons) at the Nonhyup Rice ProducerCooperative (RPC) Square in Ganghwa-gun, and marked the first batch of Incheonrice exported overseas. This first batch, 20 tons, will leave Busan Port onDecember 12 and travel all the way to Canada. “Ganghwa Sum Ssal” isgrown in paddy fields rich in microorganisms and magnesium, blessed with anabundance of sunshine and sea breeze in Ganghwado Island, which boasts apristine environment free from industrial establishments emitting toxicpollutants. It is renowned in Korea for its high quality and flavorful taste. Incheon plans to sell “GanghwaSum Ssal” to the Korean community in Canada through six major supermarkets ineastern Canada, and export two more batches (4o tons in total) next year. This remarkableachievement is due in large part to the signing of an agreement on the exportof agricultural products (Ganghwa Sum Ssal) from Incheon to Canada betweenIncheon Metropolitan City, Ganghwa-gun, and Galleria KFT, a distribution andlogistics company in Vancouver, Canada, earlier this year in October. Incheonis hoping that exporting rice could appease local farmers concerned withfalling rice prices in Korea. ▲ Ganghwa Sum Ssal rice(20 tons) being packaged. Kim Young-yoon, CEO ofRPC, said, "

New additions expected toimprove congestion for line no. 2 between Unyeon Station in Namdong-gu andGeomdan-Oryu Station in Seo-gu Relief is on the way tosave Incheon Metro Line No. 2, which runs from Unyeon Station in Namdong-gu toGeomdan-Oryu Station in Seo-gu, from its chronic congestion problem. Starting on December 9,the Metropolitan City Government is adding six newly assembled trains toIncheon Metro Line No. 2. ▲ Starting on December 9,the Metropolitan City Government is adding six newly assembled trains toIncheon Metro Line No. 2. The new trains are expected to further alleviate thecongestion of Incheon Metro Line No. 2. Since its opening in 2016,Incheon Metro Line No. 2 has been a workhorse for people across Incheon,serving 49.93 million passengers in total. There were, however, calls forcountermeasures to alleviate congestion during rush hour as the city’spopulation grew over the years. Accordingly, from 2018 to2022, Incheon invested KRW 42.5 billion to improve the capacity of IncheonMetro Line No. 2. The City Government assembled six new trains and upgraded thesubway system with new electrical wires, tracks, signals, and communicationequipment. ▲ With the introduction ofnew trains, trains on Line No. 2 will arrive at stations 24 seconds quicker,from 3 minutes and 20 seconds to 2 minutes and 56 seconds. With the introduction ofthese new trains, the total number of trains in service will go from 37 (74cars) to 43 (86 cars), trains will run more often from 460 times a day to 477times a day (17 times more), and trains will arrive at stations 24 secondsfaster, going from 3 minutes and 20 seconds to 2 minutes and 56 seconds (duringrush hour). Moreover, in the case of the Gajeong Jungang Market-Seoknam(Haseon) section, peak congestion during rush hour was 149.8%. This will dropby approximately 15% once the new trains come on line. The City Governmentexpects that residents of Namdong-gu and Seo-gu as well as Incheon citizensusing Metro Line 2 will feel much

▲ On December 19, theMayor of Incheon visited the Ministry of National Defense and met with MinisterLee Jong-sup to ask for the government’s support in upgrading the Battle ofIncheon event to an official national event. The City Government requestedcooperation between Incheon and the Ministry of National Defense to incorporatethe 75th Anniversary Event for the Battle of Incheon next year as part of thenational celebration of the ROK-US alliance. Incheon Metropolitan Citysaid that Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup agreed with Incheon's proposal toupgrade the Battle of Incheon event to a national event. On December 19, IncheonMayor Yoo Jeongbok visited the Ministry of National Defense and met withMinister Lee Jong-sup to ask for the government’s support in upgrading theBattle of Incheon event to a national event. Mayor Yoo said, “The Battle ofIncheon is a strategic asset and a valuable part of our history. We believe itis time to upgrade the Battle of Incheon event to a national event next year tohelp people remember Korea’s history and promote awareness of the importance ofnational security.” He added, “I hope that our city and the Ministry ofNational Defense can work together in order to incorporate the 75th AnniversaryEvent for the Battle of Incheon next year as part of the national celebrationof the ROK-US alliance.” In response, Minister ofNational Defense Lee Jong-sup said, “We agree that the Battle of Incheon eventhas the merits to become a national event. Thus, we plan on doing our best tomake the upgrade happen.” In addition, Mayor YooJeongbok proposed a relocation and redeployment of military units in theregion, an expansion of fishing grounds, efforts to grow the camping market, andcooperation in collecting marine debris and waste in the border area with NorthKorea. He also asked the Ministry of National Defense for more support insolving problems experienced by locals due to various defense facilities, andrelated regulations prohibiting th

Both cities agree to shareexpertise and leading policies in trade, investment, science, and education In celebration of the 30thanniversary of establishing friendly diplomatic ties between Korea andUzbekistan, the Incheon Metropolitan City Government signed an agreement onfriendly relations with Fergana, a city leading the growth and development ofUzbekistan. On December 16 (localtime), Incheon’s Vice Mayor for Culture, Welfare and Political Affairs LeeHaeng-sook visited Fergana, Uzbekistan, and signed the agreement on friendlyrelations. ▲ In celebration of the30th anniversary of establishing friendly diplomatic ties between Korea andUzbekistan, the Incheon Metropolitan City Government signed an agreement onfriendly relations with Fergana, a city leading the growth and development ofUzbekistan. Vice Mayor Lee's visit toUzbekistan came after Fergana extended an official invitation to Incheon inorder to celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea andUzbekistan, and also the 85th anniversary of Koreans arriving and settling inUzbekistan. Bozorov Hayrulla, Governor of Fergana, met with the Koreanambassador to Uzbekistan last October and asked for the Korean government’ssupport in finding new ways to expand exchanges and cooperation. Thisultimately led to the agreement on friendly relations between Incheon andFergana. At the signing ceremony,Vice Mayor Lee Haeng-sook and Governor Bozorov Hayrulla celebrated the 30thanniversary of friendly diplomatic relations between Korea and Uzbekistan, andthe two cities agreed to share expertise and leading policies in various fieldssuch as trade, investment, science, education, and the environment. Inparticular, both cities promised close cooperation not only in vitalizingbusiness and economic exchanges between companies in Fergana, which is theleading agricultural and industrial city in Uzbekistan, and Incheon, but also incultural exchanges and interactions. This agreement is expected to promoteofficial ex

Helping visitors withdirections, delivery, surveillance, and monitoring Guider robots, deliveryrobots, and surveillance/monitoring robots at Bupyeong station’s undergroundarcade in Incheon appear to be a massive hit with visitors. On November 25, Incheonhosted a launching ceremony for the “AI/5G-based large-scale robot demonstrationproject,” which won a government-sponsored contest for new tech projects,inside the underground arcade at Bupyeong station in Incheon. ▲ Helper robots, deliveryrobots, and surveillance/monitoring robots at Bupyeong station’s undergroundarcade in Incheon appear to be a massive hit with visitors. The “AI/5G-basedlarge-scale robot demonstration project” selected last May as part of theMinistry of Trade, Industry and Energy's contest for new tech projects isdesigned to help locals and solve social problems by introducing multiple typesof robots to facilities frequently visited by citizens, such as shopping mallsand major subway stations. Another goal of the project is to develop companiesspecializing in service robots and to popularize the use of robots in reallife. The project is expected tocost KRW 1.9 billion in total. For two years (2022~2023), Incheon will testfifteen robots (five types), including guider robots, delivery robots, bakingrobots, wearable robots, and surveillance/monitoring robots, at Bupyeongstation and its underground arcade in Incheon. Incheon Technopark, IncheonTransportation Corporation, Korea Institute of Electronics Technology, YujinRobot Co., Ltd., and Syscon Co., Ltd. will work together to operate and analyzethe robots in real-life situations. ▲ The “AI/5G-basedlarge-scale robot demonstration project” selected last May as part of theMinistry of Trade, Industry and Energy's contest for new tech projects isdesigned to help locals and solve social problems by introducing multiple typesof robots to facilities frequently visited by citizens, such as shopping mallsand major subway stations. Another g