- Strengthening citizen participation and year-round cleanup efforts for comprehensive marine waste response -

Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that it will invest KRW 12 billion this year to conduct year-round cleanup activities in response to marine waste flowing into its coastal waters.

As marine waste continues to accumulate due to inland waste entering through the Han River estuary, as well as the effects of tides and ocean currents, the city aims to collect and process more than 5,600 tons of waste this year.

Incheon faces high demand for marine waste management due to its widely distribution of islands and coastal areas. Over the past three years, Incheon has collected and processed an annual average of 5,540 tons of waste, with volumes showing a steady trend: 5,512 tons in 2023, 5,299 tons in 2024, and 5,811 tons in 2025.

Accordingly, the city increased this year’s project budget to KRW 12 billion, approximately 9% higher than last year’s KRW 11.2 billion. In particular, strengthened national government support secured through consultations with central ministries has helped ensure a stable financial foundation for the project.

Key initiatives will be implemented comprehensively, taking into account inflow routes and regional characteristics. KRW 7.85 billion will be allocated to river and estuary cleanup projects to collect and process marine and coastal waste flowing in from upstream areas such as the Han River.

KRW 590 million will be invested in a vulnerable coastal waste response program, which deploys dedicated personnel in high-traffic tourist areas to manage waterfront spaces. KRW 2.2 billion will also be used for marine cleanup efforts targeting waste left around major ports and harbors.

Incheon will also support the operation of vessels transporting accumulated waste from island areas (KRW 1.08 billion), along with a buyback program (KRW 200 million) to purchase and process waste collected by fishermen during their operations and brought back to ports.

Furthermore, KRW 60 million will be allocated to support prevention and awareness initiatives aimed at reducing generation of marine waste through citizen participation. Notably, the city government plans to expand the number of supported citizen participation sites from two to three sites this year to further enhance awareness and waste reduction outcomes.

Lee Han-nam, Director of the Incheon Maritime Affairs and Aviation Bureau, stated, “Marine waste is an issue that requires continuous management. We will continue to make every effort to create cleaner coastal waters in Incheon through systematic cleanup activities and strengthened public-private cooperation.”