- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced candidate cities on the 7th at the Second Meeting of the Host City Selection Committee -- Passed the written assessment of objective criteria and competencies, actively preparing for remaining assessment including on-site inspections -Incheon Metropolitan City announced on May 7th that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Host City Selection Committee selected Incheon as a candidate to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting 2025.Yoo Jeong-bok, Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City, along with supporters of the Incheon United FC, performed a promotional event in hopes of Incheon hosting the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting 2025 at the Incheon Football Stadium on May 11, 2024.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok performed a promotional event in hopes of Incheon hosting the 2025 APEC ALEM at the 35th Hwadojin Festival held at North Square of the Dongincheon Station in Dong-gu on May 10, 2024.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok performed a promotional event for Incheon to host the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting 2025 with participants at the 2023 4th Incheon Resident’s Autonomous Unity Rally held at the Namdong Gymnasium on June 16, 2023.Last March, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs formed the Host City Selection Committee to embark on the process of selecting a host city for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting week in November 2025. On the afternoon of the 7th, the Second Meeting of the Host City Selection Committee was held where Incheon, Jeju, and Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do were selected as candidate cities and resolved the plans for on-site inspections of these three cities.Incheon successfully passed the written assessment of four assessment criteria and 18 assessment indicators that objectively assess the competencies required to host international conferences. As a candidate city, Incheon will participate in the selection assessment schedule including the on-site inspections and presentation of hosting plans.Incheon has secured

- Presented global corporate attraction strategies for Songdo, Cheongna, and Ganghwa centered on Yeongjong -- Rapid investment attraction through investment attraction agreement with 12 companies and institutions -Incheon has embarked on a full-scale investment attraction targeting global companies to elevate its status as one of the world’s top 10 cities.Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City Yoo Jeong-bok explained the investment attraction at the “Global Top 10 City Incheon Investment Briefing”, held at the Inspire Entertainment Resort in Jung-gu on the 7th.Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City Yoo Jeong-bok took a commemorative photograph with representatives from institutions and companies after concluding investment attraction agreements at the “Global Top 10 City Incheon Investment Briefing”, held at the Inspire Entertainment Resort in Jung-gu on the 7th.On May 7th, the Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City Yoo Jeong-bok held the “Global Top 10 City Incheon Investment Attraction Briefing” at the Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort. The mayor declared the expansion of the New Hong Kong City project to develop Incheon into one of the “Global Top 10 Cities.”The briefing was attended by over 250 attendants including representatives and relevant stakeholders from around 80 domestic and international companies, such as the Philippines’ LCS Group, Lotte Biologics, Korea Zinc, GM Korea, and Daejoo Heavy Industry.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok introduced the successes of Incheon businesses at the beginning of the “Global Top 10 City Incheon Investment Attraction (Strategies)” presentation and concluded investment attraction agreements with 12 companies and institutions.“Global Top 10 City Incheon” maintains the goal of the “New Hong Kong City Project”, a core pledge of the 8th administration, but expands the scope beyond companies departing Hong Kong to include domestic and international companies.The project involves attracting global companies to Songdo,

- 33 Groups Revealed, including Jack White, Turnstile, Jannabi,Girl in Red, Ride, Se So Neon, and Silica GelOn May 3, Incheon City revealed the initial lineup for the 2024 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival.Incheon City has unveiled the initial lineup for the Pentaport Festival, featuring a total of 33 groups. The festival is scheduled to take place at Songdo Moonlight Festival Park in Yeonsu-gu from Aug. 2–4 (Fri.–Sun.).The headliners for the event include the 12-time Grammy Award-winning legendary guitarist Jack White, and Turnstile, a band renowned for opening up new prospects in hardcore punk music, and two other groups.In Korea, groups such as Jannabi, Se So Neon, and Silica Gel have joined the list. Moreover, the 2024 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival will present performances by musicians such as Goonamguayeoridingstella, Glen Check, Lee Seung-yoon, Touched, Wave to Earth, and Kardi, to heat up the stage.Celebrating its 19th anniversary, the Incheon Pentaport has solidified its position as one of Korea’s premier rock festivals, being designated as the ‘2024-2025 Cultural Tourism Festival.’Early-bird tickets, released on May 2, have already sold out, but further reservations can still be made through Interpark Tickets (https://tickets.interpark.com/). Tickets are priced at KRW 240,000, but KB cardholders can enjoy an additional 5% discount (KRW 180,000).Kim Chung-jin, the Head of the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Bureau, emphasized, “We have put a significant effort into curating the lineup for the Incheon Pentaport Music Festival to elevate it into a global music extravaganza.” He added, “In addition to the stellar music performances, we’re also enhancing the cool zones and bolstering safety measures with more personnel, aiming for a secure and enjoyable experience for all attendees. We are dedicated to meticulous event planning, and we are looking forward to welcoming a large audience this year.”Meanwhile, for detailed information, visitors can

- Incheon Cooperates with Xi’an City to Attract Group Tourists -- Meets Pang Hongwei, Secretary of the Xi'an Municipal Committee,to Forge Willingness for Mutual Cooperation -Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok is actively engaging in efforts to attract group tourists from China.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, accompanied by Baek Hyeon, President of the Incheon Tourism Corporation (sixth from the left), and Zhang Shengli, Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural and Leisure Affairs of Xi’an (fifth from the right), participated in the signing ceremony of the ‘Korea-China Cultural and Tourism Exchange Cooperation Agreement’ held in Xi’an, China, on April 28. They also took a commemorative photo with representatives from travel agencies, companies, and organizations who signed the cooperation agreement.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok meets with Pang Hongwei, Secretary of theXi’an Municipal Committee, in Xi’an, China on April 28, to discuss cooperation plans.Incheon Metropolitan City disclosed that Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, during his visit to Xi’an, China on April 28 local time, pledged to collaborate with Xi’an City and the Incheon Tourism Corporation to attract group tourists from China to Incheon. They also shared that promotional initiatives aimed at revitalizing the tourism industry in Incheon were undertaken during the visit.Incheon City has been actively facilitating the prospective engagement of Chinese companies and organizations in cultural tourism, educational excursions, and incentive tourism initiatives. Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok’s visit to Xi’an aimed to proactively address the significant demand for group tourists from China. During the signing ceremony, attended by officials from Xi’an’s Department of Cultural and Leisure Affairs, representatives of travel agencies from both Korea and China, and local journalists, Mayor Yoo highlighted, “Incheon has a rich history of cultural tourism, boasting diverse cultural heritage sites from prehistoric times to the modern era, al

- The Department in Charge Actively Prepares forMinistry of Foreign Affairs On-site Inspection -- Puts Forth the Best Efforts in Preparing for Pre-site Inspections ofFacilities and Areas such as Safety Checks and Environmental Maintenance -On May 3, Incheon Metropolitan City convened a task force (TF) meeting to address the site inspection for the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Candidate City. The meeting took place in the Vice Mayor's office located at the City Hall Office of Global City Affairs and was attended by the department heads from relevant government bodies, both central and local, as well as leaders from tourism agencies.Hwang Hyo-jin, Vice Mayor for Global City Affairs, hosts the ‘2025 APEC Candidate City Site Inspection Preparation Meeting’ at the City Hall Auditorium on May 3.Hwang Hyo-jin, Vice Mayor for Global City Affairs, hosts the task force meeting for supporting the bringing of the 2025 APEC forum to Incheon at the City Hall Auditoriumon April 2.This meeting aimed to actively prepare for the site inspections conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the submission of the application to host the 2025 APEC Summit on April 19. It was held in anticipation of the announcement of candidate cities on May 7, with site inspections of those cities scheduled for mid-May.At the meeting, discussions were held on departmental and institutional cooperation measures regarding issues such as facility inspection and environmental improvement for site inspections, maintenance of major roads (facilities) and transportation facilities for the movement of inspection teams, and creating a welcoming atmosphere for the inspection teams. Hwang Hyo-jin, Vice Mayor for Global City Affairs, emphasized, “Thanks to the active cooperation of all departments and agencies, Incheon was able to faithfully compile a vast amount of application documents that meet the evaluation criteria of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” adding, “Now is a c

- Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok Promotes Program at Subway Station on Launch Day... Unlimited Benefits for Incheon Citizens -- Membership Registration on K-Pass Website RequiredAfter K-Pass Card Issuance-Incheon is set to launch the ‘Incheon I-Pass’ public transportation discount policy, effective from May 1.The Incheon Metropolitan Government announced plans for the ‘Incheon I-Pass’ program starting in May, which expands the coverage of the government’s public transportation discount initiative, ‘K-Pass.’The Incheon I-Pass offers a 20% refund on public transportation expenses, falling within the scope of benefits provided by the government’s K-Pass program. However, it extends the limit to unlimited, up to 60 times per month for K-Pass holders. Individuals aged 19 to 39, categorized as youth, are eligible for a refund rate of up to 30%, and those aged 65 and above also qualify for the same refund rate of up to 30%.To avail of the benefits of the Incheon I-Pass program, you first need to acquire a K-Pass card and subsequently register as a member on the K-Pass website (https://korea-pass.kr). During registration, if your address is verified to be in Incheon, you will automatically be entitled to receive the benefits of the Incheon I-Pass.* Participating card issuers (K-Pass card issuance): KB, NH, BC Baro, Gwangju Bank, IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, K Bank), Samsung, Shinhan, Woori, Hana, Hyundai,DGB U-Pay, as well as Mobile Transit Cards such as T-money and KakaoPayCurrent users of the discounted transportation card can enjoy the benefits of both K-Pass and Incheon I-Pass by consenting to membership transfer on the K-Pass website with their existing discounted transportation card until June 30. The benefits of the Incheon I-Pass are applicable from the day of membership transfer or new membership registration for K-Pass.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok remarked, “The Incheon I-Pass has enhanced and broadened the government’s K-Pass, aiming to offer diverse public tran

– 10% Payback Benefit When Used in Ganghwa-gun andOngjin-gun Starting from the second Half of 2024 –On Apr. 18, the Incheon Metropolitan Government announced it would initiate a policy to provide payback benefits for Incheon Sarang Gift Cards to protect small and independent businesses and support regions experiencing population decline. The policy offers additional support for Good Price Stores and Ganghwa-gun and Ongjin-gun, areas of population decline.Incheon Sarang Gift CardIncheon e-Eum Taxi ServiceThe city will offer a 12% payback for using businesses partnered with Incheon Sarang Gift Card designated as Good Price Stores for struggling citizens and small and independent businesses due to the ever-increasing market prices. Good Price Stores refer to excellent businesses that display features designated by the central and local governments: reasonable prices, hygienic operations, and pleasant services.The policy on additional payback support for Good Price Stores is expected to increase customer benefits and raise the use and revenue of such businesses, aiding the creation of a virtuous cycle within the regional economy.The additional payback support for Good Price Stores is scheduled to start on May 1, 2024; businesses subject to the policy can be viewed at the websites of the Incheon Metropolitan Government (https://www.incheon.go.kr/eco/ECO021002) and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (https://www.goodprice.go.kr/user/cmm/main/mainPage.do#).The Incheon Metropolitan Government also plans to provide a 10% payback on making purchases in partnered stores in Ganghwa-gun and Ongjin-gun, whose annual revenues are KRW 3 billion or lower. This support is expected to potentially increase the de facto population of Ganghwa-gun and Ongjin-gun, such as tourists, contributing to building a robust regional economic foundation through spending within the local areas.Despite having population drops, Ganghwa-gun and Ongjin-gun have been excluded from additional fund

- Follow-up discussions only 10 days sincedelivery of letter of intent on hosting on Apr. 6 -- Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok eager to host “F1 Incheon Grand Prix,” promoting the charms of Incheon -F1 Grand Prix personnel visited Incheon to discuss additional matters for holding the “F1 Incheon Grand Prix.”Yoo Jeong-bok, the mayor of Incheon, is taking a commemorative photograph regarding Incheon's hosting of F1 with Kang Na-yeon, the President ofTehwa Holdings, and other personnel in the City Hall reception room on Apr. 16On Apr. 16, the Incheon Metropolitan Government announced that the personnel of the F1 Grand Prix, one of the world’s top three sports events, met with Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok to continue the discussion to about hosting the “F1 Incheon Grand Prix.”On Apr. 6, Mayor Yoo made a sudden visit to Japan. He met Stefano Dominicali, the CEO of the Formula One Group, during his participation in the Suzuka Grand Prix, to deliver his letter of intent to host the “F1 Incheon Grand Prix.” The second meeting took place only ten days after the last visit.In this interview, Mayor Yoo invited Louise Young, F1's Director of Race Promotion, Jarno Zaffelli, the personnel in charge of F1 circuit design, Kang Na-yeon, the CEO of DROMO and Tehwa Holdings, the Korean partner of F1, and Nicolas Chenot, the CEO of Tehwa SC, to directly describe why Incheon’s infrastructure is optimal as the city to host an urban circuit, displaying his passion for holding the “F1 Incheon Grand Prix.”In particular, Zaffelli, who visited Incheon with his technical staff under Kang’s invitation, plans to design the circuit after looking around the urban circuit candidates with her, meticulously inspecting the surrounding facilities and environments.Mayor Yoo said, “We are grateful to the personnel who insisted on immediately visiting us to have a discussion for the successful initiation of the F1 event,” adding, “Let us push forward to have a good look around Incheon’s urban

- Two additional agreements signed with local women’s hospitals -- Services offered are medical interpretation and psychological support for initial immigrant multicultural families -On Apr. 11, the Incheon Metropolitan Government signed a business agreement for multicultural family medical care services with W Women’s Hospital, Family Health Clinic Incheon Branch of Korea Population Health and Welfare Association (KoPHWA), and Namdong-gu Family Center (implementing agency).On Apr. 11, Incheon signed a business agreement for multicultural family medical care services with W Women’s Hospital, Family Health Clinic Incheon Branch of KoPHWA, and Namdong-gu Family Center (implementing agency) at the Global Business Cooperation Bureau conference room in Booyong Songdo Tower.The multicultural family medical care service project provides services where marriage immigrants with medical interpretation and psychological support capabilities offer not only language communication but also psychological and emotional care services to multicultural families from their home countries. Since the initial agreement was signed in August of last year, participating organizations have expanded from seven to nine*, with W Women’s Hospital and Family Health Clinic Incheon Branch of KoPHWA included.* Ko Eun Women’s Hospital, LY Baby Women's Hospital, MiraeCheil Women’s Clinic,Saebome Women’s Hospital, Ain Hospital, Mother Baby Women’s Hospital, andGreen Obstetrics and GynecologyUnder the agreement, the Incheon Metropolitan Government will provide comprehensive management and support for the medical care service project. The Namdong-gu Family Center will take part in operating the project, managing multicultural family beneficiaries, and promoting the project. On the other hand, each hospital will collaborate with the Family Center to assist multicultural families in need of translation services, ensuring that they are benefited from medical care services.Yoon Hyeon-mo, Direc

- A meeting aimed at communicating with student councils from10 universities in Incheon -- Authentic communication with college students andyoung generation continues this year -On Apr. 11, Mayor of Incheon Yoo Jeong-bok held the 3rd meeting with the student councils of 10 universities in the Incheon area at the City Hall.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok is responding to students’ suggestions at the 3rd meeting with university student councils in Incheon held at the Rose Hall of City Hall on Apr. 11.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok is taking a photo with participants after the conclusion of the 3rd meeting with university student councils in Incheon held at Rose Hall in City Hall on Apr. 11.Around 30 student council presidents attended the meeting this day. Some of the universities include Gachon University, Kyung-in Women’s University, Yonsei University, Incheon Catholic University, Incheon National University, Incheon Jaeneung University, Chungwoon University, Ghent University Global Campus, The State University of New York-SUNY, and George Mason University Korea.During the meeting, attendees discussed the progress of initiatives regarding the suggestions of youths and university students, as well as shared the aspirations of this year’s student council presidents, among other operational matters.Previously, the Incheon Metropolitan Government established a communication network among the student councils of 12 local universities in March of last year for the first time. Accordingly, the discussions covered fostering a youth-centered culture, hosting workshops for student councils, finding ways to encourage students’ participation in municipal affairs, creating youth-specialized streets, and reviewing scholarship support for universities entering Incheon Global Campus (IGC).In particular, Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok organized university alliance festivals to foster reconciliation, communication, and friendship among universities. In November last year, Mayor Yoo invited local residents to