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 gift>

<Kitakyushu City Deputy Mayor Hiroshi Inahara exchanging a commemorative gift>

This 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.