Labor Ministry and Incheon declare joint effort to eliminate manhole suffocation accidents
The Ministry of Employment and Labor has held a declaration ceremony with the Incheon Metropolitan Government today at Incheon City Hall to launch a joint initiative aimed at eliminating fatal suffocation accidents in manholes.
The declaration was intended to strengthen cooperation between the central and local governments in preventing serious industrial accidents during confined-space work on publicly commissioned projects.
Last year, two workers in Incheon died in suffocation accidents while working in confined spaces such as manholes, and three more workers have been injured in similar incidents this year.
The ministry and the city also adopted a joint declaration calling for Incheon's safety training and safety management system to be expanded and introduced by local governments nationwide.
Incheon to host festival to help community businesses expand sales
The third Village Business Community Festival will be held on August 8th at The Sharp Songdo Marina Bay.
Incheon Metropolitan City hosts the community-based festival to showcase products made by local community businesses and help expand their market reach.
Community businesses use local resources to address regional issues while creating jobs and generating income.
The festival is designed to give residents the opportunity to experience community businesses in their own neighborhoods, encouraging local consumption while supporting the sustainable growth of local enterprises.
Incheon expands reusable tableware initiative to funeral homes
Incheon Metropolitan City says it is strengthening cooperation with related organizations to reduce the use of disposable products at funeral homes and expand eco-friendly funeral practices to the private sector.
The city signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday at the Incheon Medical Center with the Han River Basin Environmental Office and the Incheon Medical Center to promote the wider use of reusable tableware at funeral homes.
The agreement aims to build on the successful adoption of reusable tableware at public funeral facilities and lay the groundwork for expanding the practice to privately operated funeral homes.
The city also plans to broaden the use of reusable tableware to other everyday settings, including sports stadiums, campgrounds, local festivals, and food delivery businesses, as part of its efforts to create a more sustainable, zero waste city.
Incheon and 13 major companies step up efforts to cut air pollution
Major industrial companies in Incheon have invested more than 90 billion won in environmental facilities during the first half of this year, signaling stronger efforts to reduce air pollutant emissions.
The Incheon Metropolitan Government says it held the 2026 Blue Sky Council regular meeting on Wednesday to review progress on joint initiatives and discuss further cooperation on air quality improvement.
The Blue Sky Council is a public-private consultative body comprising the city government and 13 major local emitters in the power generation, oil refinery and steelmaking business, working together to improve air quality in Incheon.
Building on this progress, the city called on participating companies to actively support a new cooperative initiative aimed at improving regional air quality through partnerships between large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises.
Incheon Library launches ‘Creative Seniors’ program for older adults
The Incheon Library and its branch libraries will launch Creative Seniors, a new educational program for middle-aged and older adults, created to support healthy and active aging, beginning in September.
The program was established to respond to the increase in Incheon's elderly population and the growing demand for lifelong learning by providing practical, life-oriented education in various fields such as health, economy, digital literacy, arts, history, and leisure, and to support the self-development and social participation of the middle-aged and senior populations.
Classes will cover a wide range of topics, including healthy eating for chronic disease prevention, proper walking techniques, retirement pensions, gardening, board games, digital literacy, using the AI assistant Gemini, home organization, art therapy through famous paintings, and Korean history.
Sources: https://news.ifm.kr
