- Pet-friendly restaurants now require compliance to facility standards and guidelines -Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that the Pet Friendly Restaurant Policy officially took effect on March 1, 2026.As pet ownership continues to grow and social norms continue to shift, the policy was introduced to address hygiene and safety concerns. Under the new system, restaurants in Incheon can now allow pets on site. The change is expected to support a new dining culture where pet owners and non-pet owners can share the same spaces.Businesses planning to operate pet-friendly restaurants must meet facility standards and comply with business guidelines. For stable operation, business owners can apply for a pre-consultation through sanitation departments in corresponding counties and districts.As regular patrons and visitors with pets will be in the same space, pet-friendly restaurants must maintain strict hygiene standards and follow safety rules. Restaurants must also clearly indicate whether pets are allowed, helping customers choose a space that suits their needs.More information is available on the official website of Incheon Metropolitan City. From the outset, Incheon will conduct targeted inspections and provide on-site guidance to minimize confusion. The city will also continue promoting and managing efforts to help establish a proper pet-friendly dining culture.Shin Byung-cheol, Director of the Incheon Health and Welfare Bureau, stated, “The project is expected to make outings more convenient for pet owners, while also creating an environment where people can spend an enjoyable time with their pets at restaurants. We also hope residents will work together to build a culture where pets, people, and different types of users can coexist.”Incheon plans to continue strengthening preparation and support from the early stages of the implementation, helping a safe and enjoyable dining culture take root where pets and people can coexist. 

- Launching a Drone-Based Realistic 3D Map That Gives Residents Access to Immersive City Information -Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that, starting on March 23, Incheon’s flagship map portal “i Map” will begin offering a 3D map service, helping residents understand urban spaces more intuitively and providing easier access to a wide range of information for everyday life.Built from drone footage, the service uses a realistic 3D map that presents terrain and building exteriors in a form that closely reflects actual landscapes of Incheon. Moving beyond a flat map format, the new service presents buildings and terrain in three dimensions, giving residents a more vivid view of urban space.A 3D model based on real images precisely recreates terrain and building facades. Compared with the simple blocks used in earlier models, the new version presents a far more lifelike view of the city. Residents will be able to examine Incheon’s urban spaces from multiple angles, while gaining a more intuitive understanding of the city’s structure and how it is changing.Launched on March 25, 2021, i Map began as the Incheon Real Estate Plaza, bringing together aerial photographs, satellite imagery, land registers, cadastral maps, zoning information, development plans, and other real estate data in one place.The new i Map will provide about thirty 3D policy maps with the existing 2D maps, covering a wide range of topics closely tied to daily life.Examples include “i+ MapDream,” which helps users check Incheon’s childcare policies, facilities, useful venues on a single map, “Incheon’s Firsts and Oldests,” which introduces the city’s earliest and highest achievements, “Incheon Architecture Awards,” which highlights outstanding buildings, “Sky Drone Incheon,” which lets users view major attractions and cityscapes through drone footage, and “Incheon Tour Map,” which introduces various ways to explore the city through the Incheon T

- Businesses to Showcase Marine Safety, Shipbuilding, and Future Maritime Technologies in Songdo Convensia on June 17–19 -Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that the 2026 Korea Ocean Expo will be held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon for three days from June 17 to 19. As the only exhibition in the Seoul metropolitan area dedicated to the maritime industry, the event is expected to draw strong interest from across the sector.Co-hosted by Incheon Metropolitan City and the Korea Coast Guard (Acting Commissioner Jang In-sik), with Incheon Tourism Organization (President Yoo Ji-sang) and Reed K. Fairs serving as organizers, the expo is a global MICE event certified by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI). Following record results in 2024, the event returns for its eighth edition this year, featuring more advanced digital and eco-friendly technologies.The exhibition will be organized into nine themes. Alongside established sectors such as shipbuilding and vessels, ship operation equipment, maritime safety, and defense equipment, the expo will present future maritime industry trends shaped by Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies. Visitors will be able to explore AI-assisted autonomous navigation, eco-friendly vessels, drones, robotics-based maritime rescue solutions, and such, all in one place. About 200 companies are expected to take part, including major Korean and international shipyards and advanced maritime equipment firms. This would make this year’s expo the largest edition to date.Programs designed to strengthen global business outcomes will also be expanded. The expo will help participating companies expand into overseas markets through export consultation sessions with global maritime law enforcement agencies and overseas coast guard procurement officials. One-on-one consultation sessions with procurement officials from the Korea Coast Guard and major Korean shipyards will also be expanded, helping create practical

- Specialized training in infectious disease testing to be provided at local public health centers -Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that the Incheon Institute of Health and Environment conducted a three-day training from March 11 to 13 for testing staff at public health centers across the city, focusing on strengthening capacity for infectious disease diagnosis.The training was designed to improve the expertise and diagnostic accuracy of testing staff at public health centers working on the frontlines of infectious disease response, helping local communities contain outbreaks more quickly.With imported infectious diseases on the rise in recent years, along with more varied outbreak patterns driven by climate change and other factors, the skill level and speed of response by the frontline testing staff have become a core foundation for protecting public safety.Accordingly, the institute focused on further reinforcing the infectious disease response system through practical training built around real field conditions.The training covered major infectious diseases, including enteric bacterial infections, syphilis, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and malaria, combining both theory and hands-on practice.To improve the accuracy of laboratory diagnosis, the training covered the latest testing methods and reviewed testing procedures and quality control systems in accordance with standard guidelines. Training on bioterrorism response procedures was also provided to further strengthen the preparedness for emergency situations.In particular, the training went beyond simple technical instruction. It also reaffirmed a basic principle of public health that prompt and accurate diagnosis is the strongest mode of disease control. Because the impact of an infectious disease on a local community can vary greatly depending on how early it is detected, the institute once again emphasized that accuracy and accountability at the testing stage are more importa

- Response measures on CBAM and U.S. tariff policy shared, with a special lecture by Katrina Chang, Special Advisor for International Trade Policy -Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) held a briefing for local companies on response strategies for the United States and European Union (EU) trade barriers.In cooperation with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Incheon held a briefing on March 11 at the Incheon Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s main auditorium to share strategies with local small and medium-sized enterprises amid changes in the global trade environment and rising trade barriers in the U.S. and EU.The briefing was arranged in response to changes in U.S. trade policy following the launch of the second Trump administration and the full implementation of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).With recent U.S. tariffs and tighter EU carbon regulations expected to increase the burden on businesses, the briefing focused on providing practical information that can help local small and medium-sized companies effectively respond to changes in the trade environment.The briefing covered response measures for the EU’s CBAM and strategies for responding to changes in U.S. tariff policy. The EU’s CBAM mandates companies exporting six product categories (including steel and aluminum) to the EU to report carbon emissions and purchase CBAM certificates. Business costs are expected to rise as a result.The final session of the day featured a special lecture by Katrina Chang, Special Advisor for International Trade Policy for Incheon and Senior Advisor at Kim and Chang.Katrina Chang is a U.S. tariff expert with about 27 years of experience at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), where she worked on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) enforcement, anti-dumping and countervailing duties, and trade regulation, while also taking part in negotiations led by the Office of the United States Trade Representative.The lecture covered changes in ta

- Open innovation model built on cooperation between bio cluster and Celltrion promoted -Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok), Incheon Technopark (Incheon TP), and Celltrion will take part in “BIO CHINA 2026” at the Suzhou International Expo Center in China from March 12 to 14, showcasing Incheon’s bio industry and its open innovation partnership model.BIO CHINA 2026 is a major international event in the pharmaceutical and bio sectors, bringing together more than 30,000 participants from over 40 countries and hosting more than 5,000 one-on-one business meetings.This participation was part of Incheon’s new Open Innovation Challenge program, launched this year with leading companies. Under the project, Incheon will identify innovative startups in Korea and abroad in line with Celltrion’s technology needs, then support joint research, Proof of Concept (PoC), and global expansion.During the event, Incheon, Incheon TP, and Celltrion jointly promoted the infrastructure of Incheon’s specialized bio cluster and the Open Innovation Challenge program. They also held technology exchanges, investment consultations, and business partnership meetings with about 400 participants from across Asia, including booth exhibition participants, promising bio companies, and investment institutions (AC, VC firms, etc.).At the international forum’s China-Korea Session on the opening day, Incheon and Celltrion introduced the joint open innovation partnership model, along with Incheon Bio Cluster, highlighting the potential for global cooperation.They also visited Biobay in Suzhou Industrial Park (one of China’s three largest bio clusters), where they met with local company representatives and laid the groundwork for identifying future partners.Cho So-young, Director of the Semiconductor and Bio Division, stated, “This event marks an important first step as Incheon moves beyond serving simply as a biopharmaceutical production base and works toward becoming one of A

- GiEver to receive KRW 1 billion in investment and recommendation for the Scale-up TIPS RD program -Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) and Incheon Technopark (Incheon TP) held a signing ceremony on March 11 at GiEver for an investment MOU for “Incheon Growth Fund No. 4,” attended by representatives of the investment firm and the investee company.The MOU was made through the Synergia Incheon RD Investment Project, a mandatory investment project launched last year for promising companies in Incheon. The project serves as a strategic investment support program under Incheon Growth Fund No.4. Finalist companies receive a KRW 1 billion investment, along with support linked to a recommendation for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ Scale-up TIPS RD Program*. * Scale-up TIPS: a program that identifies and supports growth of promising small and medium venture companiesThe “Synergia Incheon Project” is an investment program for small and venture companies based in Incheon that specialize in artificial intelligence and digital innovation technologies. This is Incheon’s unique program that provides tailored investment guidance to help businesses grow, including reviews of IR materials for companies seeking investment, support with investment evaluation, consulting on securing RD funding, and coaching from venture capital firms.Through the project, the advanced materials company GiEver was selected for final investment and will receive KRW 1 billion, along with a recommendation for the Scale-up TIPS program.Based in Seo-gu, Incheon, GiEver develops graphene materials and related products using its core proprietary technology for manufacturing graphene (advanced nanomaterial). In particular, GiEver has been recognized for strong market competitiveness in both price and environmental sustainability, supported by a stable, uniform graphene production technology and an innovative manufacturing process.Graphene, a 2D material composed of carbon atoms, offer

- KRW 100 million to support about 150 vulnerable residents in the island areas of Ganghwa and Ongjin with tailored services -Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that it has been selected for the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s (MOH) 2026 Underserved Social Services Project and will begin the Integrated and Cultural Services Support Project in April for residents in island areas, including Ganghwa and Ongjin.Using KRW 100 million in project funding, including national funds secured through the program, Incheon will provide tailored services to about 150 vulnerable residents, mainly in Gyodong-myeon, Ganghwa County, and Deokjeok-myeon, Ongjin County.The project is also expected to present an integrated support model built as a package connecting care and cultural services in line with the “Act on Integrated Support for Community Care Including Medical and Nursing Services,” which takes effect on March 27.Eligible recipients include residents in underserved areas who need support in daily life, such as discharged patients, people with chronic illnesses, the elderly, and people with limited mobility. Households with income at or below 100% of the median income will be given priority. The project will be carried out through cooperation by Incheon Metropolitan City, counties, and districts, and the Incheon Metropolitan City Public Agency for Social Service.The project will provide support services such as daily care for discharged patients, nutritional support, and safety support based on AI, along with cultural services such as visiting performances and participatory programs.Support services include help with meals, hygiene, and household tasks for discharged patients; nutritional meals for the elderly during climate-vulnerable periods such as heat waves and cold waves; and AI-based safety support services.In particular, the AI-based safety support service uses a mobile device-based system. When no movement is detected for more than 48 hour

- Preliminary feasibility investigation passed, set to dramatically improve commutes to Seoul -The anticipated Seoul Subway Line 5 extension project to Gimpo and Geomdan, a long-standing goal for residents in the northwestern part of the Seoul Metropolitan Area, is finally moving ahead in earnest.Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced on March 10 that the Seoul Subway Line 5 extension to Gimpo and Geomdan had passed the preliminary feasibility investigation after review by the third Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee, fulfilling one of the eighth municipal administration’s campaign pledges.The project will create a new 25.8 km line from Banghwa (Seoul) through Geomdan (Incheon) to Gimpo, with a total project budget of KRW 3.5587 trillion. To help secure approval in the preliminary feasibility investigation, Incheon has maintained close cooperation with Gimpo City and the Metropolitan Transport Commission while continuing strategic collaboration and network building.Last year, the two local governments thoroughly revised the policy analysis data and refined the measures to improve economic feasibility, thereby reinforcing the plausibility for the project. More recently, they appeared before a subcommittee of the Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee, delivered a video message from Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, and then strongly argued for the project, emphasizing its urgency and justification.Following the wide-ranging efforts and a full review of policy considerations, the project was recognized as justified on the grounds that it would ease traffic congestion in the northwestern part of the Seoul Metropolitan Area and improve public safety, ultimately clearing the preliminary feasibility investigation.Incheon emphasized that the passage of the preliminary feasibility study will mark a turning point in accelerating transportation transformation in the northwest. Once the Seoul Subway Line 5 extension to Gimpo and Geomdan is completed, chronic congestion i

- City, counties, and districts join efforts to crack down on false transaction reports, collusion, and up-and-down contracts -Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that it held a joint policy meeting of city, counties, and districts on March 10 to address disruptive real estate practices in 2026.Recent gains in home prices and rising transaction volume in parts of Seoul and Gyeonggi have raised concerns about market instability across the Seoul Metropolitan Area. Incheon’s housing price growth in February stood at 0.09%, lower than Gyeonggi’s 0.54%. Even so, prices have continued to rise for 4 straight months, prompting a preemptive response to potential market overheating.The meeting was held to devise measures to prevent the spread of the upward trend in home prices seen in Seoul and Gyeonggi into Incheon. Another goal was to keep the local real estate market from following the same pattern, helping maintain stability.Officials at the meeting took a broad look at the government’s real estate policy direction, response trends in other local governments, and market conditions in Incheon. They also discussed response measures for disruptive real estate practices in 2026 with officials from counties and districts in Incheon.Main measures included regular response meetings on illegal real estate practices, tighter monitoring and more detailed investigations of suspicious real estate transaction reports, coordinated investigations with related agencies when illegal collusion is reported or detected, enhanced training for licensed real estate agents on maintaining orderly transaction practices, and wider public awareness of the Center for Reporting Disturbance of Real Estate Transaction Order.When signs of abnormal transactions are detected, including falsely reported sale prices (price inflation), housing price collusion, and up-and-down contracts, Incheon plans to conduct focused inspections in the relevant areas in cooperation with counties,