- Closes on April 23, Incheon Grand Park flower pavilion to host event during the cherry blossom season - - 21 spring flower species, including rapeseed flowers and pansy flowers available (10,000 individual plants), along with photo zone featuring “moon rabbits” and other sculptures - The Incheon Metropolitan City Government (Mayor: Yoo Jeong-bok) is hosting the “2023 Incheon Flower Exhibition” at Incheon Grand Park from April 7 to 23. The flower exhibition gets under way in line with the “Incheon Grand Park Cherry Blossom Festival” and “Green Incheon Writing Contest” at the Culture Plaza also at Incheon Grand Park. This year, the exhibition is making its return for the first time in four years (since 2019). For people who may have not been able to go out to fully embrace the new spring season due in large part to lingering concerns over COVID-19, enjoying the cherry blossoms in full bloom and warm spring sunshine at the flower exhibition could be a simple but memorable experience, and a reminder that we are indeed returning to normalcy as the pandemic disappears into our rearview mirror. The Incheon Flower Exhibition will feature rapeseed flowers inside its exhibition hall to really give visitors a taste of spring, and 21 different types of spring flowers such as pansies, margarets, and violas (more than 10,000 individual plants). The event will also include a photo zone and storyline with 13 sculptures made under various themes (e.g. moon rabbits). Heo Hong-gi, Head of the Green Space Policy Division, said, “Our City will do its best to prepare for the Flower Exhibition so that people who have not been able to go out and enjoy spring flower exhibitions over the past couple of years can embrace the new season and have a great time with some beautiful spring flowers.”

New plan features 11 core projects for railway, road, and parking facilities across Jung-gu and Dong-gu - The Incheon Metropolitan City Government is adding major upgrades to its road and railway network across Jung-gu and Dong-gu, both districts at the heart of Incheon’s old city center, in an attempt to lay the foundation that could potentially lead its Jemulpo Renaissance project to success. The City Government (Mayor: Yoo Jeong-bok) announced its new “Jemulpo Renaissance Traffic Network Plan” that includes eleven core projects* (railroads, roads, and parking areas) across various locations in Jung-gu and Dong-gu area. The proposed traffic network upgrades will likely serve as the foundation of the Jemulpo Renaissance Project, which was a key pledge made by Mayor Jeong-bok Yoo (8th democratically elected administration of Incheon) and kick-start a more balanced development of the old city center. * 11 core projects for the new Jemulpo Renaissance transportation network ① Wolpan Line, Incheon Station extension; ② Airport Railroad no. 2 construction; ③ Gyeongin Metro subterranean construction; ④ Incheon Subway Circular Line no. 3; ⑤ Bupyeong Coastal Pier (tram); ⑥Sungin Underpass and Connecting Road construction; ⑦ Gyeongin Expressway no. 4; ⑧ Bukseong Port~Wolmido Access Road construction; ⑨ Incheon Road Network Construction Plan research; ⑩Wolmi Public Parking Lot expansion; and ⑪ Sinpo-dong Public Parking expansion Firstly, the City plans to build a high-speed rail network that directly connects the old city center to other major cities across the country. Plans to extend the Wolpan Line to Incheon Station as well as plans to build the Airport Railroad no. 2, the Incheon Circular Line no. 3 (loop line servicing Incheon), and Bupyeong Coastal Pier will get under way to offer faster and more convenient transportation options for residents in the old city center (Jung-gu and Dong-gu), and also execute a strategy that brings the Gyeongin

- On March 19, Hapag-Lloyd's EUROPA 2 arrives in Incheon Port - - Welcome event followed by a trip to Incheon’s top tourist attractions, including Sinpo Market and Wolmido Island - With the worst of COVID-19 now in the rearview mirror, a cruise ship has sailed into Incheon for the first time in three years. The Incheon Metropolitan City Government (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that Hapag-Lloyd’s EUROPA2 (43,000 ton class), a German cruise ship, carrying a total of 914 people, including 544 passengers and 370 crew members, arrived in Incheon on the morning of March 19. EUROPA 2 previously departed from Hong Kong on March 10, and sailed to Okinawa, Nagasaki, and Busan before making the trip up to Incheon. Next up on its itinerary are Osaka, Shimizu, and Tokyo in Japan. The Incheon Metropolitan City Government, Incheon Port Authority, Incheon Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries, and the Incheon Tourism Organization celebrated the first cruise ship to enter its waters since the COVID-19 crisis with a welcome event at Pier 1 of the Incheon Inner Harbor on 7:30 am when passengers disembarked from EUROPA 2. The event featured a Korean traditional music ensemble performance, a traditional costume-wearing event, and a Korean calligraphy class. To mark the occasion, the City Government, Port Authority, and the Korea Tourism Organization handed out EUROPA 2’s first passenger, the captain, and a handful of other crew members a commemorative plaque, leis, and souvenirs. After the event, passengers took a tour of some of Incheon’s top tourist destinations, including Sinpo Market and Wolmido Island, before departing at 8:00 pm that day. The Mayor said, “We’re really glad to see a cruise ship sailing into our port for the first time in three years. Incheon is the perfect city for ‘Fly Cruise’ travelers since it has a cruise terminal capable of fitting the world's largest (225,000 ton class) vessels and Korea's largest international airport that serves as a hub

- 1,200㎡ dog park comes with a variety of obstacles for dogs and other amenities for their owners - City plans to bring the number of dog parks in the city to ten by 2026 - The Incheon Metropolitan City Government (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) recently announced a new plan to create a dog park inside Wolmi Park in hopes to turn the City into the perfect place both dogs and their owners can live happier and healthier than ever. The park, for which construction works will begin this April, is set to open sometime in late May. The 1,200㎡ Wolmi dog park is the first of its kind in the Jung-gu and Dong-gu districts of Incheon (102-2, Bukseong-dong 1-ga, Jung-gu), and according to its blueprint, the park will feature two separate zones - one for larger dogs and another for smaller dogs. The park also comes with an administrative office and a whole complement of obstacles, including stairs, a slope, a tunnel, and a bridge, as well as a drinking fountain for dogs. Of course, the park will have amenities for dog owners such as a heat/sun shelter and benches. To help prevent accidents and resolve disputes, the City will install CCTVs and monitor park users for any negligent or dangerous behavior. The Wolmi dog park is available to registered dogs only. Unregistered dogs or “dangerous dogs” as defined by the Animal Protection Act shall not be allowed inside the park. Moreover, for safety reasons, children under the age of 13 shall not be allowed inside the park unless accompanied by a guardian or parent. Choi Jong-soon, head of the Wolmi Park Management Office, said, “We hope that our new dog park can turn Incheon into a city where dogs and their owners can run around as much as they want and enjoy a nice relaxing day out in the heart of the city.” Meanwhile, as of March 2023, Incheon has four dog parks: one each at Incheon Grand Park in Namdong-gu, Kkotmaru Park in Gyeyang-gu, Songdo Moonlight Park in Yeonsu-gu, and Munhaksan Pet Park in Michuhol-gu. The City plans on inc

Incheon establishes future strategy, including city-wide connection, future/green industries, logistics, and tourism With the successful launching of the New Hong Kong City project, Incheon City says it is ready to take its next leap forward as a city known for its cutting-edge innovation, liberal and international environment, and fast-paced growth. The New Hong Kong City project, one of the key pledges of the 8th democratically elected administration of Incheon, is a comprehensive strategy to develop Incheon into a global hub city that stands shoulder to shoulder with Hong Kong and Singapore using strategies aimed at responding keenly to changes in the international environment and maximizing its potential as well as city infrastructure. ▲ On March 15, Incheon Metropolitan City Government hosted the “New Hong Kong City Project Vision Declaration Ceremony” at the Yeongjong Sky Cultural Center Plaza in Jung-gu. At the event, City officials announced the City’s aspirations to take the next leap forward in its journey of becoming a bona fide international metropolis. Image of attendees at the vision declaration ceremony. In September of last year, the city set the direction of the project and started preparing a list of specific strategies. In October, it signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) on mutual cooperation. In early March this year, Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok visited Hong Kong to see where the city is going. This, combined with his trips to Singapore and Europe last year, helped the Mayor put the final touches to his New Hong Kong City plan. Now that it has announced its vision for the project, Incheon is hoping to organize and share the blueprint and strategy for New Hong Kong City that it has envisioned so far, and start pushing forward with the project in earnest. The three goals of the New Hong Kong City project are focused on turning Incheon into: ① a high-tech innovation city where locals

Expanding its network of national and municipal public childcare centers to 456 locations by 2026 The Incheon Metropolitan City Government has decided to drastically increase the number of national and public childcare centers parents can trust their children with. The City plans to increase the number of national and public childcare centers, which are highly preferred by parents of young children, by more than 40 each year. The goal is to increase the number of these national and municipal childcare centers to 456 by 2026, which will hopefully create a childcare environment conducive to having and raising children. ▲ Incheon plans to increase the number of national and public childcare centers, which are highly preferred by parents of young children, by more than 40 each year. The goal is to increase the number of these national and municipal childcare centers to 456 by 2026. Image of the Durumi Childcare Center. A survey on childcare policies and demand asked parents across Incheon in 2021 revealed that the number one childcare priority for parents is the expansion of national and public childcare centers. Reflecting such demand, the City plans to increase the number of national and public childcare centers in Incheon from 296 as of the end of 2022 to 456 by 2026, raising the share of national and public childcare centers from 18.7% to more than 30%. The budget required for this transition could be as much as KRW 22.6 billion. To this end, the City plans to focus on rekindling the conversion of private childcare centers to public centers. Private and at-home childcare centers are facing the grim reality of plummeting birth rates and a declining number of children in recent years - roughly 100 close every year. Incheon plans to convert existing private childcare centers and childcare facilities at apartments into national or public childcare centers outright or on long-term contracts. The City believes that this conversion can enhance the quality of childcare, a

Incheon Grand Park Cherry Blossom Festival from April 8 to 9, and Goryeosan Mountain Azalea Festival from April 15 to 23 The long and bitter winter of isolation, partly from the cold but mostly because of the lingering effects of COVID-19, appears to be finally over. Now, it is time, once again, to celebrate the spring season. And for this year’s spring, you need to be ready as things may fly by very quickly. Once all the spring flowers start to bloom, they only need a week to be in full bloom. Also, the weather early on in spring tends to be fickle, making it difficult to put your finger on when exactly the flowers will actually start blooming. According to Weather Eye, a meteorological company, spring flowers are expected to bloom in Incheon this year four to ten days earlier than normal. Azaleas (March 25), which are likely to bloom ten days earlier than usual, are expected to set things in motion, followed by forsythias (March 28), and cherry blossoms (March 28). To get you ready for the blooming season, which begins in earnest in the last week of March, these are some of the best places to enjoy the spring flowers in Incheon. ▲ Perhaps the best-known spot for azaleas spot in Incheon is Goryeosan Mountain (436m) in Ganghwa. The Goryeosan Mountain Azalea Festival is one of Korea's most exciting spring flower festivals. More than 400,000 people from all over the country visit the Festival every year in search of the sea of light pink flowers spreading from halfway up the Mountain and all the way up to its peak. Image of Goryeosan Mountain with azaleas in full bloom. Azalea was the oldest flower valued and treasured by Koreans Goryeosan Mountain Azalea Festival gets under way from April 15 to 23… Beautiful azaleas also available in Haeymyeong, Gayeon, and Cheongnyangsan Mountains Records say that our ancestors used to add azalea into “Hwajeon” pancakes (flower pancakes) or they simply sucked on azalea flowers to enjoy the sweet nectar. This could very wel

Set locale inside Cheongna Lake Park to become a major tourist attraction... Opening soon in April Incheon is turning “Cheongna Lake Park,” where Netflix hit series “The Glory” was filmed, into a major tourist attraction. The Incheon Metropolitan City Government says it plans on working with the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, the Incheon Film Commission, and the Incheon Tourism Organization to restore set locations across Incheon featured in The Glory series and open it up to the public sometime next month. ▲ Cheongna Lake Park was a key venue in pushing the plot forward between the key characters in The Glory. To take advantage of The Glory’s massive success, Incheon has decided to use Cheongna Lake Park as a tourism resource and open up the production set for the Netflix original for a limited time only starting this April. The Glory is a TV series previously chosen by Incheon and Incheon Film Commission as a “killer content” for the City. Both organizations supported its production with an initiative aimed at attracting and promoting film video content filmed in Incheon. The Glory became a worldwide sensation, with 172.2 million in cumulative viewing hours, the no. 1 watched show on Netflix's Global Top 10 TV (non-English) category. Part 2 is scheduled to air on March 10. ▲ Image from a scene in The Glory filmed at Cheongna Lake Park. Cheongna Lake Park was a key venue in pushing the plot forward between the key characters in The Glory. To take advantage of The Glory’s massive success, Incheon has decided to use Cheongna Lake Park as a tourism resource and open up the production set for the Netflix original for a limited time only starting this April.  

▲ With the Incheon Metropolitan City Government deciding to freeze public utility rates for the first half of the year, it says will be cutting sewage charges, which had already gone up earlier in the year, for the next six months.) Incheon is cutting sewage charges, which had gone up earlier in the year, by 10% for the next six months. Residents will see the discount offer applied to their sewage charges from March to August this year. Previously, on February 17, the City announced its decision to “freeze” seven of its city-wide public utilities (city gas, regular taxis, buses, subways, water and sewage, and garbage bags), including sewage charges, for the first half of 2023. The decision was made to alleviate the pressure on each household as they were expected to struggle with increasing gas prices and other inflationary pressures. However, prior to this decision to freeze public utility rates in the first half of this year, Incheon reached a separate agreement to adjust the standard unit price for sewage usage applied to different types of businesses in accordance with its plan to bring sewage fees to a viable level. Thus, the City decided to increase sewage rates by an average of 10% over a three-year span from 2021 to 2023. This meant that the rates for household sewage as of January 1, 2023 (based on meter readings on the inspection date), went from KRW 380 to KRW 410 per cubic meter. Fortunately, the Incheon Metropolitan City Government says will be cutting sewage charges, which had already gone up earlier in the year, for the next six months to align its sewage policy with the freezing of other public utilities for the first half of 2023. Since sewage bills for the month of January (payable in February) had already been sent out prior to the City’s decision, households will be eligible for a 10% discount on their sewage bills for the next six months from their sewage bill for the month of February (payable in March) to July (payable in August).

Incheon subsidizing up to 90% of installation costs... Free first-come-first-serve offer for apartment security offices Incheon has green lit its “2023 Mini Solar Power Generator Module Project” to help locals reduce their utility bills and promote the use of new and renewable energy. The City will invest KRW 530 million this year to promote the supply of mini solar power generator modules to roughly 430 locations. An additional KRW 130 million to the previous year’s budget is expected to come in handy as the City looks to install more mini solar power generators in houses, buildings, and apartment security offices. ▲ Incheon will invest KRW 530million this year to promote the supply of mini solar power generator modules to roughly 430 locations. An additional KRW 130 million to the previous year’s budget is expected to come in handy as the City looks to install more mini solar power generators in houses, buildings, and apartment security offices. Incheon will subsidize up to 80% of the cost when installing mini solar power generator modules depending on their capacity (KRW 800,000 for 300W modules, KRW 1.6million for 600W modules), and an extra 10% (maximum subsidy of 90%) for group applications made by apartment communities (minimum 10 households). The project is also offering free installation of mini solar power generators at apartment security offices, the same as it did last year. Incheon will subsidize 90% of the installation cost (including funds from Gu district budgets) and participating companies will pay for the remaining 10%, meaning the apartment security office bears no cost. The mini solar power generator module project began back in 2014 to promote the voluntary use of new and renewable energy. Until last year, the project had managed to supply 898kW in solar power capacity across a total of 2,191 locations in Incheon. A 600W mini solar power generator can produce approximately 81 ㎾ h of electricity a month, which is enough to use a wal