- Autonomous driving buses will now service routes in Songdo, Yeongjong, Incheon City Hall, and Incheon International Airport -- City wants to bring in autonomous driving research institutes and companies to develop a plan for the shared development between the public, private sectors, and academia -Incheon Metropolitan City announced that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has designated four locations in and around Incheon City Hall, Songdo, Yeongjong, and Incheon International Airport as pilot zones for autonomous driving vehicles.As such, the City plans to enact an ordinance to help operate and support the new pilot zones as early as the first half of 2024, review the autonomous driving project, and promote various services using autonomous vehicles in the second half of next year.Previously, Incheon applied to become a pilot site for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport last August to prepare for a major paradigm shift in future mobility and to develop the local economy in connection with the autonomous driving industry.The number of pilot zones newly designated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has jumped to ten across the country, bringing the total to 34 zones so far.The autonomous driving vehicle pilot zone is an area where various regulatory special provisions are applied to promote research and trials involving autonomous driving vehicles.Incheon City Transportation Director Kim Jun-seong said, “The designation of Incheon’s first autonomous driving vehicle pilot zone means that we have taken the first step toward becoming a city that specializes in future mobility.” He added, “We're looking to attract research institutes and companies linked to autonomous driving in order to help us plan for the shared development between the public, private sectors, and academia. By doing so, we want to promote the innovative growth of local industries and create new jobs.”Incheon City HallSongdo Central ParkYeo

- Mayor meets US Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg -- Shares information on policies designed to support overseas Koreans and vision to make Incheon a top-10 city in the world...Asks US for additional support for Korean Americans -Incheon Metropolitan City Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok met with US Ambassador to Korea Philip S. Goldberg to discuss possible means to strengthen the City’s cooperation with major cities in the US.According to the City Government, on November 30, the Mayor met Ambassador Goldberg in the reception room at the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority building for a friendly conversation on cooperation between the two countries and the City’s vision for the future.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok met with US Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg at the G Tower in Yeonsu-gu on November 30 to discuss possible cooperation.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok met with US Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg at the G Tower in Yeonsu-gu on November 30 to discuss possible cooperation, and gifted a souvenir to the Ambassador.Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said, “This year is an important year as it marks the 70th anniversary of the ROK-US alliance and the 120th anniversary of the first batch of Koreans emigrating to America.” He added, “Incheon has been an eager supporter of the ROK-US alliance. In September, the City hosted a ceremony celebrating the victory at the Battle of Incheon.” The Mayor says the progress in Korea’s alliance with the US following the recent Korea-US summit is a positive development.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok then highlighted the strengths of Incheon, which is where the first Koreans left the country to emigrate overseas and it is now home to the Overseas Koreans Agency. The also Mayor shared his vision to make Incheon one of the world's top-10 cities by strengthening its network with overseas Koreans. Since opening the Overseas Koreans Agency, Incheon has sought support and cooperation to work as a bridge between Korea and the US.At the meeting, the Mayor explained

- Mayor meets UN Assistant Secretary-General on November 20 to discuss cooperation and growth between Incheon and the UN -On November 20, Incheon Metropolitan City Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok met with UN Assistant Secretary-General Chandramouli Ramanathan, who was on an official visit to Incheon, at the reception room inside the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority to discuss mutual cooperation and development plans between the UN and Incheon.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok meets UN Assistant Secretary-General Chandramouli RamanathanThe Assistant Secretary-General thanked Incheon for its continued interest and support for the UN. The City is now home to seven UN organizations, including the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific East and North-East Asia Office (UNESCAP ENEA), and the UN Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (UNAPCICT). He also emphasized the crucial role of local governments in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is a worldwide issue, and that working toward the SDGs is an investment in our future and a driving force for social change.* 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A total of 17 goals and 169 targets to achieve the goals, adopted by the United Nations in 2015 to solve global social, economic, and environmental problems, and to build a sustainable future globally by 2030.Commemorative photo taken after meeting with the UN Assistant Secretary-GeneralMayor Yoo Jeong-bok said, “I respect and thank the United Nations for its efforts to maintain world peace and international cooperation in the international community.” He asked for the UN and the Assistant Secretary-General’s attention going forward saying, “In particular, the Asian continent occupies one-third of our planet’s habitable land mass and 60% of the world’s population. As the only divided country in the world, and considering the spirit of the UN, which champions freedom, p

- Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon agree on transportation solutions for the metropolitan area -- Incheon also to prioritize participating in the climate “companion card project” for the metropolitan bus network -On November 17, Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok reached an agreement with the Seoul Metropolitan City Government on the “Airport Railroad-Seoul Metro Line No. 9 Project,” which had been in a stalemate for the past 24 years. The decision is expected to improve the transportation system for local residents traveling between Incheon and Seoul.In addition to the Airport Railroad-Seoul Metro Line No. 9 Project, the Mayor also agreed with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to join the Climate Companion Card project scheduled for January next year.MOU signing ceremony between Incheon and Seoul on resolving traffic issuesIncheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon are signing an MOU at the “MOU signing ceremony between Incheon and Seoul on resolving traffic issues” inside Seoul City Hall on November 17.Despite getting a green light from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 1999, the Airport Railroad-Seoul Metro Line No. 9 Project had been mired in a stalemate over the operating and facility costs between Incheon and Seoul. On November 17, however, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Metropolitan Transport Commission), Incheon, and Seoul managed to reach an eagerly anticipated agreement.As per the new arrangement, Seoul will cover the entire operating cost expected from connecting the Airport Railroad to Seoul Metro Line No. 9. Here, considering the transportation benefits for its citizens, Incheon agreed to share half of the facility expenses with Seoul.Thus, passengers in both Incheon and Seoul will soon benefit from a much more seamless transportation system, including an 8% reduction in congestion on Line No. 9 express trains and the ability to connect to the Seoul Metro system without having to trans

- On November 11, the City hosted the “Love Incheon Discussion Forum” at the Songdo Convensia Grand Ballroom -- Event encouraged communication and dialogue to ensure the happiness of all 10 million Incheon citizens -Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor: Yoo Jeong-bok) hosted the “Love Incheon Discussion Forum” on November 11 at the Songdo Convensia Grand Ballroom (2F) to welcome the City’s new future as a major metropolis with 10 million citizens from all walks of life. The City invited various experts and the general public to discuss “suggestions for making Incheon a happy world-class city.”Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok delivers his opening addressMayor Yoo Jeong-bok debating with his constituentsThe Forum was a departure from other existing debate formats that typically serve to promote City policies and gauge the public’s response. Members from more than 30 committees with policy advisory functions for the City, relevant subject matter experts, and Incheon citizens were all invited to have a sincere discussion, express their opinions on the City’s administration, and interact directly with the Mayor.Commemorative photo for the 7th Love Incheon Discussion ForumEach year, the Forum uses big data collected across ten different City policies (cross-generation communication/youth, environment, economy, future industry, maritime aviation, urban planning, culture and tourism, health and welfare, women and family/education, and transportation) to identify issues that plagued Incheon over the past year. Using a round-table discussion format, the Forum gets underway for 100 minutes using keywords carefully chosen from the big data Incheon manages to collect.Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said, “Given our three City-wide values of balance, creativity, and communication, I promise to communicate with our constituents, always put them first, and dedicate resources for the future of our City. I want to channel my passion and commitment to turn Incheon into a world-

- Korea-Japan Governors’ Meeting convenes to discuss solutions for “low birth rates, aging, local community revitalization, and balanced regional development” -- Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok shares Incheon’s efforts to ensure balanced regional development and proposes cooperation between local governments -Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, currently on an official visit to Japan, attended the “7th Korea-Japan Governors’ Meeting” to explore new opportunities to advance the relations between Korea and Japan through exchange and cooperation at the local government level.Incheon Metropolitan City announced that the Mayor joined the “7th Korea-Japan Governors’ Meeting” between the Governors Association of the Republic of Korea (President: Lee Cheol-Woo) and the National Governors' Association of Japan (President: Yoshihiro Murai, Miyagi Prefecture) in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, on November 1. The Mayor was invited to the Meeting as Vice President of the Governors Association of the Republic of Korea.At the “7th Korea-Japan Governors’ Meeting” in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, on November 1, Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok led a presentation on “Accompanied Growth and Balanced Regional Development.”At the Meeting, held at the “Music and Forest Museum” in Yamanashi Prefecture, Mayors and Governors from both countries (five from Korea, including Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, and eleven from Japan) engaged in some spirited discussions on possible means to grow municipal governments in both countries and also to resume cooperation and exchange between the two countries going forward.This year's Korea-Japan Governors’ Meeting, held for the first time in six years, served as an opportunity to reaffirm the eagerness for exchange and cooperation between the local governments on both sides.All parties agreed to the fact that the main theme of the Meeting, “low birth rates, aging, local community revitalization, and balanced regional development,” is not only a very urgent and

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- Discussion focused on mutual cooperation and development plans between Incheon and UNESCAP over economic and environmental matters –On October 26, Incheon Metropolitan City Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok met with Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Secretary-General of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), at the reception room inside City Hall to discuss possible mutual cooperation and development plans between Incheon and UNESCAP.UNESCAP Secretary-General Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana and Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bokpose for a photo after discussing cooperation plans at the City Hall reception room.At the meeting, Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok highlighted that Incheon, which evolved into a global mega city and home to 10 million people upon opening the Overseas Koreans Agency in Songdo last June, will continue to bring in more international organizations, global corporations, and world-class research institutes to grow together.In particular, the Mayor said Incheon wholeheartedly supports the United Nations’ guiding philosophy of “promoting human welfare and shared development with local communities” across a variety of fields, including information, communication, economy, social development, and environment. He also reiterated the values of closer communication and cooperation between the UNESCAP East and North-East Asia Office (UNESCAP ENEA) in Incheon, the North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC) and its affiliated organizations, the UN Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (UNAPCICT), and the local community in Incheon.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok discusses possible cooperation measureswith UNESCAP Secretary-General Armida Salsiah AlisjahbanaSecretary-General Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana expressed her gratitude, saying that Incheon has indeed continued to support UNESCAP ENEA and UNAPCICT to help accelerate the development of programs aimed at sust

- Discussion to focus on establishing governance and digital transformationto fulfill UN Sustainable Development Goals – Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor: Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that it hosted the 2023 Regional Symposium at Songdo Convensia from October 17 (Tue) to October 19 (Thu). UN Project Office on Governance (UNPOG) 7th Regional Symposium The event invited more than 1,500 public administrators, public officials, and academics from 46 countries across the Asia-Pacific and East Africa, and also officials from the United Nations. Available both online and in-person, the Symposium featured special sessions, plenary sessions, youth forums, and regional governance forums. This year’s Regional Symposium focused on “Leveraging Public Governance to Accelerate the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals – Transformation, Innovation Inclusion.” Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok and Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min each gave their welcome speeches to open the event, and Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered the keynote speech. The Symposium looked back on items discussed during last September’s 2023 SDG Summit. Various breakout sessions explored new ways to build more effective governance systems and achieve real digital transformation and innovation led by local governments across the Asia-Pacific. Meanwhile, the Symposium was first convened by the UN and a group of public administrators in the Asia-Pacific in 2017 to discuss strategies for accelerating the implementation of UN SDGs*. * Sustainable Development Goals: SDGs are designed to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) proposed by the United Nations (UN). These new goals represent the ultimate target for the UN as well as the international community at large, and will stay in place between 2016 to 2030. UN SDGs include a total of 17 universal goals, including “no poverty,” “good health and well-being,” “reduced inequalities,” “responsi

Incheon Metropolitan City hosted the 59th Incheon Citizens’ Day on October 14 (Saturday) at Piers 1 and 8 inside the Inner Ports.Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters exchanging a commemorative giftKitakyushu City Deputy Mayor Hiroshi Inahara exchanging a commemorative giftThis year's event got underway at Incheon Inner Port’s Pier 1 and 8, which had remained off-limits to the general public for the past 140 years. A large part of the event was the Incheon Harbor Festa 2023, featuring some of Korea’s top performers such as Ailee, Dynamic Duo, and Woongsan Band, as well as jazz and classical musicians from both Korea and abroad.The City also prepared football (soccer) programs, Korea Coast Guard programs, 119 fire safety classes, and a Street of Light photo zone for everyone to enjoy and experience.Later on in the day, drones and fireworks lit up the night sky, basking the Inner Port area in beautiful light and celebrating its return to the people.Yoo Yong-soo, Director of Incheon’s Administrative Bureau, said, “This year’s Citizens’ Day celebration felt particularly special as it commemorated the opening of Incheon Port’s Pier 1 and Pier 8, which was closed to the public for 140 years.” He added, “So many locals came out to celebrate Citizens’ Day with family and friends, making the event all the more meaningful.”Meanwhile, Incheon celebrates its Citizens’ Day on October 15 every year. On October 15 (according to the lunar calendar) in the 13th year of King Taejong's reign (1413 CE), the name “Incheon” appeared for the first time in history when the area was renamed Incheon-gun. Thus, the City celebrates this day as Citizens’ Day.