2026-01-13 8am voice news
Public & Private Incineration Used Since Ban on Direct Landfilling of Household Waste
Incheon Metropolitan City says private-sector incinerators are handling waste that cannot be fully processed at public incineration facilities. The move comes as a ban on direct landfilling of household waste at the Sudokwon Landfill took effect this month. The city says a total of 7,429 tons of incinerable household waste was generated in Incheon this month until January 8th. Of that amount, 6,568 tons, or 89 percent, were treated through public incineration, while 861 tons, or 11 percent, were processed by private facilities. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, Incheon Metropolitan City, district governments, and the Incheon Environmental Corporation are operating an emergency response team to ensure smooth waste disposal.
Household Waste to Sudokwon Landfill Hits All Time Low
Household waste deliveries to the Sudokwon Landfill from Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi-do hit an all-time low last year, with all regions complying with their annual quotas. According to the Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corporation, 57 local governments in the Seoul and surrounding metropolitan region sent a combined total of 484,072 tons of household waste to the landfill last year. The total volume cap system, introduced in 2020, limits the annual amount of household waste each local government can deliver to the landfill in Seo-gu, Incheon. The volume cap system has effectively come to an end with the ban on direct landfilling of household waste in the capital region taking effect this year.
Incheon City Announces Eligible Petitioners for 2026 Local Referendums
Incheon Metropolitan City has officially announced the total number of eligible petitioners and required signatures for local referendums, recall votes, and citizen-initiated ordinances for 2026.Under the Residents’ Voting Act, the total number of eligible petitioners has been set at 2,659,285. Accordingly, at least one-twentieth of that figure, or 132,965 signatures, will be required to request a local referendum.
Incheon Police Deploy Precision Tracking Devices for Faster Response
The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency says it has achieved tangible results after distributing “112 precision tracking devices” at frontline police stations over the past month. 188 devices were deployed on Dec. 8th to 10 police stations across Incheon. They use portable Wi-Fi transmitters to analyze the mobile phone signals of callers. An Incheon police official said the agency will continue to actively adopt advanced equipment and technology to ensure there are no gaps in protecting citizens’ lives and safety during emergencies.
Incheon Library to Run Humanities Lecture Series
Incheon Metropolitan City Public Library will operate the “2026 Tolerance Humanities and Social Sciences Lecture Series” to foster humanities literacy and social insight among the general public. Launched in 2021 in cooperation with the Center for International Area Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, the program offers practical global knowledge through topics spanning the world and local communities, history and contemporary issues. This year’s series consists of six courses totaling 18 sessions, covering continental history and economic trends as well as culture and the arts.
Open Museum at Incheon City Hall Station to Host ‘Connections’ Exhibition
The Incheon Metropolitan City Museum announced it will host a rental exhibition titled Connections from January 12th to the 19th at the Open Museum inside Incheon City Hall Station on Subway Line 1. The exhibition was organized by the citizens’ art group “UNKNOWNZ,” made up of artists from diverse backgrounds and sensibilities who come together to tell unnamed stories. Centered on the universal theme of “connections,” the exhibition will feature a wide range of illustrated works that reinterpret the concept through each artist’s unique perspective, highlighting the many forms and traces of connection woven into everyday life.
