Incheon unveils sculptureto support the city’s bid to host the 2025 APEC Summit... Photo event also apossibility On December 1, Incheonhosted an event to unveil a sculpture to support its bid to host the 2025 APECSummit at the Love Garden Plaza, Incheon City Hall. The City will also use thesculpture, which reflects Incheon’s determination to host its first-ever summitmeeting, for a photo event via the administration’s social account (SNS accountname: Support Incheon’s bid to host the APEC Summit). ▲ On December 1, Incheonhosted an event to unveil a sculpture to support its bid to host the 2025 APECSummit at the Love Garden Plaza, Incheon City Hall. The City will also use thesculpture, which reflects Incheon’s determination to host its first-ever summitmeeting, for a photo event via the administration’s social account (SNS accountname: Support Incheon’s bid to host the APEC Summit). In particular, the sculpturehas a spot in front of the “i” (of Incheon) where visitors can stand and becomethe “i” themselves. This could help locals feel proud to be a citizen ofIncheon and have fun while supporting their city. The APEC Summit is anannual meeting attended by more than 6,000 people, including heads of state andministers from 21 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. With Korea set to hostthe 2025 APEC Summit in November 2025, which is exactly 20 years since Busanhosted the APEC Summit back in 2005, Incheon, Busan, Jeju, and Gyeongju (Gyeongsangbuk-do)have all made their bids to host the event. ▲ The ceremony to unveilthe sculpture supporting Incheon’s bid for the 2025 APEC Summit was hosted atthe Love Garden Plaza in front of the City Hall on December 1. Incheon is a global city,home to 15 international organizations, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF).It is the perfect place to host APEC that can fulfill the three major goals ofAPEC: trade and investment, innovation/digital economy, and inclusive/sustainablegrowth. Earlier in September,May

Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeongbok'sfirst investor event to attract foreign investment was a success. With newinvestment inbound, Incheon will build a European-style global healing spa andresort, and the city administration will work with a German craft beermanufacturer more than 200 years old as well as IoT blockchain startups goingforward. ▲ On November 17 (localtime), a delegation from Incheon led by Mayor Yoo Jeongbok hosted an investorevent in Frankfurt, Germany, which is considered a major hub for internationalbusiness, to attract investment from Europe. The event was attended by localleaders, including the Mayor of Frankfurt, and the Commissioner of the IncheonFree Economic Zone Authority. Also, more than 40 executives from a total of 25companies joined the event. With three companies signing a letter of intent formutual cooperation, sources say the event has been a much bigger successcompared to what the city had originally expected. Incheon City announced onNovember 18 that a delegation from Incheon led by Mayor Yoo Jeongbok hosted aninvestor event in Frankfurt, Germany, which is considered a major hub forinternational business, on November 17 (local time) to attract investment fromEurope. The event was attended by local leaders, including the Mayor ofFrankfurt, and the Commissioner of the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority. Also, more than 40executives from a total of 25 companies joined the event. With three companiessigning a letter of intent for mutual cooperation, sources say the event hasbeen a much bigger success compared to what the city had originally expected.In addition, multiple participating companies are hoping to collaborate in thefuture, which could lead to additional investments. First, the Incheon FreeEconomic Zone (IFEZ) Authority signed a letter of intent for mutual cooperationwith Therme Group, signaling that a European-style global healing spa andresort could be coming to IFEZ, which has great access to the Yellow Sea. The terms of the le

Incheon prepares acomprehensive contingency plan against natural disasters in winter for betterstability and safety in at-risk areas vulnerable to natural disasters Incheon now has a new“Comprehensive Winter Natural Disaster Contingency Plan” to ensure the safetyof its citizens and minimize any inconveniences from heavy snowfall or coldwaves this winter. Over the past decade, theaverage winter temperature in Incheon has dropped by -0.27 ℃ compared to the average temperature in past years (0.00 ℃ ),whereas average precipitation has increased by 14% from the past averages (62.8 ㎜ ) to 71.95 ㎜ .Moreover, although the average severity of snowfall has decreased, the city is seeingmore snow days at 24.3 days compared to previous years (22.1 days). Thiswinter, Incheon is anticipating severe temperature drops, but precipitation isexpected to remain similar to normal years. Accordingly, the cityadministration has decided to keep a close eye on heavy snowfall and cold wavesuntil March 15, 2023, and focus on minimizing any damage caused by naturaldisasters with preemptive response measures at the scene of heavy precipitationor cold waves and close collaboration with other relevant organizations. ▲ The city administrationhas decided to keep a close eye on heavy snowfall and cold waves until March15, 2023, and focus on minimizing any damage caused by natural disasters withpreemptive response measures at the scene of heavy precipitation or cold wavesand close collaboration with other relevant organizations. Incheon plans to conductthorough scientific analysis and manage situations preemptively with staff onstandby 24 hours a day at the Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters.It will use closed circuit (CC) cameras and TVs across the city, and alsoestablish a public-private-military-police cooperation system for swiftresponses in the field. This new system will help reinforce the safetymanagement for at-risk areas/facilities or those vulnerable to naturaldis

ID and password all set to“wifi” to promote usage The “2022 WirelessInternet Infrastructure Expansion Project” appears to be ready to start installingWi-Fi modules to offer free internet access in public venues to locals. Thecity administration recently completed its inspection of potential sites thatare expected to receive these new Wi-Fi modules. The project will focus onpublic institutions and facilities (government offices, cultural facilities,health and welfare facilities, etc.) in ten gun/gu districts across Incheon,including Ganghwa and Ongjin-gun. More specifically, it has selected 773locations most frequently accessed by locals to maximize uptake. ▲ The “2022 WirelessInternet Infrastructure Expansion Project” appears to be ready to startinstalling Wi-Fi modules to offer free internet access in public venues tolocals. The city administration recently completed its inspection of potentialsites that are expected to receive these new Wi-Fi modules. Unlike in the past, thisproject also chose 40 locations based on the feedback city officials collectedfrom locals to expand the coverage of its free Wi-Fi network to districts inthe old city center with poor access to Wi-Fi and mobile network access inpublic venues. The City’s administrationhas long been trying to work with the central government to build thecommunication infrastructure locals need, and it has consulted expert groups tooffer public Wi-Fi to coastal passenger vessels to Ongjin-gun and otherlocations with poor Wi-Fi coverage. Upon launching this new project, Incheonconducted on-site inspections of previously built facilities, and it said thatit plans on making every effort to improve the satisfaction level of locals byproviding better quality services, which includes replacing old and outdatedWi-Fi equipment. ▲ The goal of this Wi-Fiproject is to install modules in a total of 773 locations with the highest usertraffic to make sure the public Wi-Fi network is actually useful to the lo

Incheon announces itsComprehensive Development Plan for Northern Incheon to help turn Incheon into afirst-class city On November 10, Incheon MetropolitanCity announced its “Comprehensive Development Plan for Northern Incheon,” whichoutlines the first steps toward transforming Incheon into a world-class city,at the Auditorium inside the Seo-gu Office. ▲ On November 10, IncheonMetropolitan City announced its “Comprehensive Development Plan for NorthernIncheon,” which outlines the first steps toward transforming Incheon into aworld-class city, at the Auditorium inside the Seo-gu Office. The City Administrationappears to be focusing on “change and innovation” given the drastic changes interms of policy direction and administrative systems brought on by the 8thdemocratically elected government of Incheon. The “Comprehensive DevelopmentPlan for Northern Incheon” reorganizes master plans for the Gyeyang-gu andSeo-gu districts in Incheon that lie north of Ara Canal (previously, the planwas titled the “Comprehensive Development Plan for the Northern Districts”). ▲ Provisions from the“Comprehensive Development Plan for the Northern Districts.” The “ComprehensiveDevelopment Plan for the Northern Districts” was planned by the 6thdemocratically elected administration of Inchon, and specific development planswere commissioned in April 2019, which was during the 7th democraticallyelected administration. However, the project was suspended this March with just28 days remaining on its docket. Meanwhile, the new“Comprehensive Development Plan for Northern Incheon” focuses more on thespatial planning of northern Incheon, its SOC supply plans, future developmentof landfills, and on improving the transportation network to make the northerndistricts of Incheon a better place to live. The new plan also hopes to connectthe northern districts, previously considered as being cut off due to the Ara Waterway,with significant waterfront infrastructure to offe

Delegation from Incheontraveling across four European countries, including France, until November 20to seek support from overseas Koreans in Europe The Mayor of Incheon andofficials from Incheon are going on their second overseas business trip sincetaking office as the 8th democratically elected city administration in order tostrengthen Incheon’s cooperation with overseas Koreans and also to encourageoverseas Koreans to open their Overseas Koreans Service office in Incheon. ▲ On November 13 (localtime), the Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City took a tour around Caen’s CityHall led by Mayor Joel Bruneau in Normandy, France. Incheon Metropolitan CityMayor Yoo Jeongbok is on a 9-day trip to four European countries, includingFrance, from November 12 to 20 with other officials from the City’sadministration. Upon receiving an officialinvitation to the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) from the Associationof Korean Residents in Europe, Incheon organized this trip to Europe in hopesto strengthen its cooperation with local institutions, attract investment, andshare its plans to transform Incheon into a world-class international city.During his trip, Mayor Yoo Jeongbok also visited historical sites to pay homageto the historical significance of the Battle of Incheon. He first visited the CaenMemorial Museum after landing in Paris, France, and Omaha Beach, where theAllied Forces pitched its fiercest resistance against the Germans during WorldWar II. The Mayor also visited the Korean War Veterans Memorial. Here, whilecommemorating the noble sacrifices made by countless soldiers in Incheon andNormandy, Mayor Yoo Jeongbok spent time reflecting on their resolve anddedication toward defending peace. In 2017, Incheon City andthe French province of Normandy signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) onfriendship and cooperation to help preserve the cultural heritage of bothregions and to protect the peace. Incheon, which is planning a majorcommemorative event for the Bat

Metropolitan governmentunveils ten policies to help achieve its goal of becoming a “world-class city”where its people can always feel happy Celebrating his 100th day inoffice, Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok (8th democratically elected Mayor of Incheon) sayshis administration will focus on growing Incheon’s economy to KRW 100 trillionin GRDP and help the city take the leap as the 2nd most important city inKorea. On October 6, the IncheonMetropolitan Government hosted an event to declare the city’s vision andgovernance objectives after the first 100 days of the 8th democraticallyelected city government at the main conference room inside city hall. Mayor YooJeong-bok announced and explained the ten major policies related to theadministration of the city (i.e. ① A balanced city where everyone can leadhappy and prosperous lives; ② A global city where dreams come true; ③ A city ofcommunication that treats its people with sincerity and care; and an ④Innovative city that creates future values). The first governance policy -a balanced city where everyone can lead happy and prosperous lives - isdesigned to create better balance across the old city center and new innovativeparts of the city, and to make sure all roads lead to Incheon with convenienttransportation options. ▲ On October 6, the IncheonMetropolitan Government hosted an event to declare the city’s vision andgovernance objectives after the first 100 days of the 8th democraticallyelected city government at the main conference room inside city hall. The citysays it will focus on growing Incheon’s economy to KRW 100 trillion in GRDP andtake the leap as the 2nd most important city in Korea. To ensure a better balance interms of the development of Incheon as a city, the metropolitan government willchannel its strengths to kick start the “Jemulpo Renaissance” era at the InnerPort Free Economic Zone, and to promote development in the old city center. Inregards to transportation, core projects will involve n

Incheon to build a “touristbelt” and designate hot spots to enjoy the city’s nightscape in Songdo,Wolmido, and the Open Port district Incheon has announced itsplans to build a “tourist belt” with content specifically designed to takeadvantage of the nightscape around key tourist attractions in SongdoInternational City, Wolmido, and the Open Port district. The new tourist beltwill feature ten destinations that are the perfect place to enjoy Incheon’sshimmering lights in the evening. The metropolitan citygovernment will invest a total of KRW 5.6 billion in national and municipalfunds to finish the nighttime tourist belt project by 2025. ▲ Map of Incheon’s nighttimetourist belt project In September, the city wasselected as Korea's first “City of Light” at the inaugural “Nighttime TourismSpecialized City Contest” hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourismand the Korea Tourism Organization this year. Inspired by its slogan, “AllNights Incheon,” the project will create a wide variety of content visitors canenjoy in the evening, and promote scenic spots across Incheon, which was thefirst port city in Korea to open its doors to foreigners in the 19th century.More than 100 years later, Incheon hopes to serve as a gateway into Korea inthe post-COVID-19 era going forward. ▲ Slogan for Incheon’snighttime tourist belt project The tourist belt project has atwo-pronged approach. The first will feature Songdo International City (ArtCenter Incheon, G Tower, Tri Bowl, Central Park, Songdo Convensia, TripleStreet), whereas the second will include the Wolmido and Open Port district(Wolmido, Incheon Inner Port/Sangsang Platform, Chinatown, Open Port, FreedomPark). Other hot spots during evening hours across the city, such as SubongPark and Sorae Port, will also serve as important parts of the tourist beltproject. More specifically, the projectwill be divided into four categories: nighttime tourism content, nightscape hotspots, nighttime touris

The Incheon Free Economic ZoneAuthority has begun its free legal counseling service for alien residentsliving inside the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ). Starting on October 19, IFEZis now offering free legal counseling In the field of real estate leasing,labor relations, loans/debts, etc. via attorneys registered at the Incheon BarAssociation specializing in legal counseling for foreigners in Korea. ▲ On October 19, the IncheonFree Economic Zone Authority launched its free legal counseling service foralien residents living inside the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ). Alien residents either livingor working in IFEZ in need of legal counseling can find more information aboutavailable counseling services at the IFEZ Global Center. Other inquiries andappointments can be made by phone (032-453-7356) or via e-mail(ifezglobal@gmail.com). In launching the new legalcounseling service, IFEZ Authority Commissioner Kim Jin-yong appointed MoonSeul-gi (attorney at law) as the “Legal Counsel for Alien Residents at IFEZ” atG Tower in Songdo International City.

Mayor Yoo visited the sites of ‘Urban/Port Regeneration’ projectsites Mayor Yoo of Incheon arrived at his second destination, Sidney,Australia, as he continued his trip. ▲ Mayor Yoo Jeongbok arrived in Sidney, Australia, on the 18 th and visited the Opera House near Darling Harbor, which has become aninternationally famed center of maritime recreation through a redevelopmentproject of the old port. Mr. Yoo arrived in Sydney as a part of his itinerary before hevisited Brisbane to participate in the 9th Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conferenceon Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) to visit the sites of urban regenerationprojects. On the 18 th , which was his first day in Sidney, hevisited the urban regeneration model area and the port redevelopment projectsites. Darling Harbor, which was the site of the port redevelopmentproject of Sidney, is recognized as the basis of a successful upgrading of the‘abandoned wharves’ into a ‘global maritime recreational center.’ Developmentin this area is allowed for commercial, cultural, and ferry passengerfacilities only, such as the National Maritime Museum, Sidney ConventionCenter, and the Opera House, in the waterfront area. ▲ The delegation from Incheon had a meeting with the executivesof the Korean Association of Sidney, Australia, on the 18 th . Rocks, which was the next destination and a famous touristdestination, was a place where the past and present of Sidney co-existed. It isalso one of the oldest places in Sidney, where visitors can have a firsthandexperience of the history of the city. After the visit, Mr. Yoo met the executives of the KoreanAssociation of Sidney, including President Heungwon Kang, to give encouragementand show appreciation for the services of the executives promoting thereputation of South Korea and listened to the Korean businesspeople who discussedtheir current situation. On the 19 th , which was the second day in Sidney, thedelegation visited the Sidney branch of KOTRA to listen to the bri