- Total investment of 6.6 billion won… Strengthening regional competitiveness centered on university innovation and future industry workforce development -To enhance Incheon's future competitiveness, the city is expanding its Regional Innovation-Centered University System (i-RISE) project in line with the new government's national policy direction. This includes AI workforce development and ultra-regional projects.Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that it held the Incheon RISE Committee meeting on October 24th and deliberated on key agenda items including: ▲Utilization Plan for the 2025 Incheon Metropolitan City Phase 2 RISE Project Funds ▲Revision of RISE Project Fund Execution and Management Standards (Draft) ▲Whether to Establish a RISE Expert Committee.* The Incheon RISE Committee was launched on December 18, 2024, and is the highest decision-making body for the RISE project, comprising 21 members including the Mayor, City Council members, university presidents, the Superintendent of Education, representatives from the economic and industrial sectors, and relevant institutions.A total of 6.6 billion won (5.5 billion won in national funds, 1.1 billion won in city funds) will be invested in this second phase. The utilization plan focuses on: ▲ Expanding new projects such as AI talent development, solving regional issues, and designing ultra-regional projects ▲ Strengthening existing initiatives by increasing budgets for Incheon's flagship projects and ongoing programs ▲Strengthening universities' self-sustaining innovation capabilities by expanding participation opportunities for smaller institutions.Incheon City plans to conduct an additional call for RISE project participation among local universities in November. It will select participating universities through a fair and transparent process using a Selection Evaluation Committee composed of experts from academia, industry, and research institutions.Specifically, it plans

-World Korean Business Leaders Conference Held in Incheon from the 27th to the 30th-The 29th World Korean Business Convention and the 2025 Korea Business Expo Incheon will be held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon from the 27th to the 30th of this month.Incheon City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) was selected as the host city following an on-site inspection after applying to host the event last August. It was recognized for its △excellent international accessibility △diverse industries and infrastructure △international business environment and rich event experience.This event is the largest international economic gathering held since the Overseas Koreans Foundation opened in Incheon, with approximately 2,000 participants expected, including overseas Korean businesspeople, international buyers, and domestic entrepreneurs.Centered on the theme ‘Globalization of the Korean Economic Network and Sustainable Cooperation,’ the conference will feature diverse programs including △Trade Committee Meetings △Export Consultations △Investment Promotion Briefings △Global Startup Competition △Global Job Fair △Cultural Performances. It is expected to serve as a platform connecting the global capabilities of overseas Korean businesspeople with the competitiveness of domestic industries.Significance of Hosting the World Korean Economic Conference in IncheonHosting this World Korean Economic Conference in Incheon holds significant meaning in three aspects.First, it demonstrates tangible achievements in overseas Korean policies.Since the opening of the Overseas Koreans Agency in June 2023, Incheon City has laid diverse foundations to leap forward as the ‘central city for overseas Korean policies’ and the ‘hub city for the Korean network’.It has pursued core tasks such as establishing a business hub for overseas Koreans, attracting foreign investment, and expanding global employment opportunities for youth. As a result, it successfully secured the hosting rights for the

-Shorter intervals starting October 27... New M-Bus routes to Yeongjong and Songdo also in the works-Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that starting October 27, it will add three buses each to the M6457 and M6660 express routes. These routes run between Geomam Station Royal Park City Prugio 1 Complex and Geomdan Elementary School in Seo-gu, Incheon, and Seoul's Gangnam Station and Guro Digital Complex Station, respectively. This expansion will reduce the interval between buses.This expansion aims to reduce commuting times to central Seoul for residents of the Geomdan New Town and enhance transportation convenience. The M6457 route, opened in May 2024, connects ‘Geomam Station Royal Park City ~ Gangnam Station’ without transfers, while the M6660 route, opened this August, connects ‘Geomdan Elementary School ~ Guro Digital Complex Station’ without transfers.Initially, due to transportation worker recruitment issues, the M6457 operated only 3 out of 10 licensed buses (with a dispatch interval of 60-80 minutes), and the M6660 route operated only 4 out of 10 licensed buses (with a 50-70 minute interval). However, through close consultation between Incheon City and the transport companies, an additional 3 buses each were deployed, significantly reducing the interval. This is expected to make commuting to Seoul much more convenient for Geomdan residents.Incheon City plans to continue working closely with transport companies to promptly increase the number of buses operating not only the Metropolitan Express Bus (M-Bus) but also the Direct Seat Metropolitan Bus, striving continuously to enhance citizens' transportation convenience and improve their living environment.Furthermore, the city is continuing its cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Metropolitan Area Transport Committee to open a new Metropolitan Express Bus (M-Bus) route connecting Yeongjong and Songdo to Seoul.* (Planned New Routes) ➊(Starting Po

- Enjoy an Autumn Stroll in the City Center During the Chuseok Holiday at Incheon Grand Park -Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that the Incheon Grand Park Management Office will operate the park normally during the Chuseok holiday and has completed preparations to welcome visitors with autumn flowers in full bloom.The Incheon Grand Park Office plants diverse flowers suited to each season, allowing citizens to enjoy the park's changing charm throughout the year. It provides a pleasant resting space through regular maintenance and environmental upkeep.This autumn's flower planting features red spider lilies, cosmos, and crape myrtles as the main attractions. They add vibrant colors and liveliness throughout the park, offering citizens a rich autumn landscape.Around the lake, spider lilies are in full bloom, while cosmos and crape myrtles blossom brightly in the Harmony Garden, heightening the autumnal atmosphere. Autumn flower beds throughout the park offer citizens the chance to directly experience the changing seasons.The tree-lined paths, now tinged with yellow and red leaves, allow strolling citizens to experience the autumn scenery. Walking amidst the fallen leaves scattered here and there lets one feel the deepening seasonal mood.The Eoul Grand Plaza and Culture Plaza host various events every weekend, providing entertainment for citizens. The scenery, harmonized with seasonal flowers, has also gained popularity as a photo spot.Incheon Grand Park will remain open as usual during the Chuseok holiday period. However, the Arboretum, a park viewing facility, will be closed from the 5th to the 7th, and the Children's Zoo will be closed on Chuseok Day itself.An official from the Incheon Grand Park Management Office stated, “It is the perfect place to enjoy the scent of autumn within the city and relax with family,” adding, “We hope many citizens will visit during the Chuseok holiday period to share in the festive atmosphere together.”

-Applies to all vehicles on 341 city bus routes and over 2,600 buses starting September 30-Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced it will provide real-time (high-precision) bus location services via KakaoMap starting September 30.Citizens can easily access the service by activating the ‘High-Precision Bus’ feature in the menu bar (≡) next to the top search bar on KakaoMap's home screen.This service features real-time bus location tracking on a map alongside estimated arrival times. This allows users to directly monitor bus movements affected by traffic lights or congestion, alleviating the inconvenience and frustration citizens have experienced and significantly enhancing the reliability of bus operation information.The service covers the entire city of Incheon, encompassing all 2,600 vehicles across 341 city bus routes.The head of the Transportation Information Operations Division stated, “The implementation of the real-time (high-precision) bus location service will provide citizens with more accurate and reliable public transportation information,” adding, “We will continue to actively utilize cutting-edge technology to drive tangible transportation innovations that citizens can experience.” 

- Recognized for expanding flexible work in core industries... Leading the way in creating youth-friendly job environments -Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced it won the top prize in the Outstanding Project category at the ‘2025 National Local Government Job Awards Ceremony’ held on September 8.The ‘Outstanding Project Category’ award, which Incheon received, recognizes local governments' regional job creation initiatives implemented throughout 2024, selected based on a comprehensive evaluation of creativity and employment generation effects.Incheon secured the top honor for its successful implementation of the “Project to Introduce and Expand Flexible Work Practices in Root Industries.” This initiative aimed to improve the rigid corporate culture prevalent across root industries.※ Root Industries: Industries producing parts or finished products using foundational manufacturing process technologies such as casting, molding, forming, welding, surface treatment, and heat treatment. These are core sectors supporting the competitiveness of Korea's key industries like automotive, shipbuilding, and IT.As of 2023, Incheon has 30,869 manufacturing businesses employing 246,065 workers. Among these, root industries comprise 5,861 businesses (18.9%) and 63,594 workers (25.8%).While the root industries form a major industrial cluster within manufacturing, the phenomenon of young people avoiding manufacturing is intensifying. Consequently, the number of young workers aged 30 and under is decreasing annually, while the proportion of older workers aged 50 and above is increasing. This is leading to a shortage of skilled labor and a weakening of industrial competitiveness.According to the Korea Labor Institute's “2024 Youth Employment Trends Survey,” young people prioritize wages, benefits, and work-life balance when choosing a job. They particularly view special leave (38.5%), flexible work arrangements (35.4%), and remote work (31.1%) as e

- Over 3,000 participants from 40+ countries… Strengthening its status as a global bio-leading city -Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) and Incheon Tourism Organization successfully hosted the '2025 Asian Federation of Biotechnology Congress and International Conference of the Korean Society for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (KSBB-AFOB Conference) held at the Incheon Grand Hyatt from September 23 to 27.This conference, jointly hosted by the Korean Society for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (KSBB) and the Asian Federation of Biotechnology (AFOB) to commemorate KSBB's 40th anniversary, opened a platform for sharing international research achievements and industrial exchange under the theme “Frontiers in Bio-Manufacturing: Shaping a Sustainable Bioeconomy.”Notably, Incheon City operated four customized tourism programs for approximately 200 key foreign participants: ▲ Songdo Bio Cluster Industrial Tour ▲ Bio City Exploration ▲ Smart City Tour ▲ Port Opening Site History Tour ▲ Well-Medi Tour, achieving high participant satisfaction.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok stated, “The successful hosting of this KSBB-AFOB conference has further strengthened our status as a global bio-leading city,” adding, “We will continue to support attracting and successfully hosting international conferences to broaden opportunities for international academic and industrial exchange and establish ourselves as a world-class conference city.”

- Tianjin-Departing Cruise Makes Incheon Port Call... Korea-China Tourism Exchange Expands in Earnest -Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that the Dream, operated by Tianjin Oriental International Cruise, departing from Tianjin in North China, will arrive at Incheon Port Cruise Terminal on September 29th, marking the first cruise reception event for a vessel originating from North China.Approximately 2,600 Chinese cruise tourists visiting Incheon under the visa-free entry policy for Chinese group tourists will disembark at 7:00 AM that day. They will tour Incheon and the Seoul area before returning to Tianjin.* Dream: A 77,000-ton cruise ship accommodating 2,270 passengers and 600 crew members. Based in Tianjin, North China, it has operated short-haul Northeast Asian routes to Japan and Jeju since August 2023.This Dream cruise ship call at Incheon is an achievement resulting from the business agreement signed between Incheon City and China's Dalian City in May 2025. The itinerary, initially considered for Jeju, was secured for Incheon through close cooperation and active marketing efforts by Incheon City, Incheon Tourism Organization, Incheon Port Authority, and relevant Chinese agencies. This call is expected to bring positive ripple effects to Incheon's local economy and the cruise industry as a whole.Incheon City, together with the Incheon Tourism Organization, will host a cruise welcome event (Mcruise Party) for Dream passengers at the Inner Port Pier 1 8 Plaza. Deputy Mayor Hwang Hyo-jin, the Incheon Tourism Organization, and approximately 2,000 tourists will participate. The event will feature local food, traditional performances, late 19th-century costume experiences, and local product sales booths. Following the event, tourists will visit major attractions like Chinatown and Sinpo Market to participate in local consumption.Furthermore, Incheon City plans to contribute to revitalizing the local commercial district by providing free shut

-Jajangmyeon's Past, Present, and Future Meet in Incheon-Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) will host the “1883 Incheon Jajangmyeon Festival” for two days from November 1 to 2 in Chinatown, Sangsang Platform, and the Incheon Port Opening Area, under the theme “THE Jajang, A Special Bowl That Started in Incheon.”Launched for the first time this year, the “1883 Incheon Jajangmyeon Festival” aims to establish jajangmyeon—reborn alongside Incheon's opening as a port—as a cultural asset symbolizing the city's identity. It plans to develop into a flagship festival that enhances the city's brand and image.The festival features diverse programs for all generations, including an archive hall showcasing the history and stories of jajangmyeon, a ‘Jajang Kids Park’ with hands-on classes for children, stage performances and experience booths targeting the MZ generation, photo zones, hand-pulled noodle demonstrations for adults, a jajangmyeon memory hall, a stamp tour, and on-site events.Additionally, special experiences spanning past, present, and future will be offered, including:▲ A tasting corner featuring old-style jajangmyeon from the 1883 port opening era▲ Diverse jajangmyeon events in Chinatown▲ A tasting corner for creative jajangmyeon dishes by young chefs using Incheon specialties.Alongside this, auxiliary spaces will enhance visitor satisfaction:▲ A ‘Refresh Zone’ for relaxation while enjoying the sunset and a ‘Picnic Zone’ evoking the atmosphere of an autumn family outing.To ensure safe festival operations, 200 safety personnel, including professional security guards, firefighters, police, traffic officers, and administrative staff, will be deployed. Medical booths will have professional medical staff and emergency transport vehicles on standby at all times for swift response to emergencies.Incheon City will spare no effort to ensure thorough preparations so visitors can enjoy the festival without inconvenience, aiming

- Mid-term evaluation of participating companies and selection of outstanding firms… Additional commercialization funding support –Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) and the Incheon Creative Economy Innovation Center (Director Lee Han-seop) announced the successful hosting of a demo day event on September 24 at Songdo Convensia for the mid-term evaluation of companies participating in the ‘Youth Overseas Expansion Base Support Project’ (hereinafter referred to as the Youth Expansion Base Project).The Youth Overseas Expansion Base Support Project is an annual program that discovers and nurtures young entrepreneurs to support the overseas expansion of youth entrepreneurs with outstanding capabilities. This year, 25 young entrepreneurs were selected.Notably, this ‘Youth Overseas Expansion Base Support Project Demo Day’ was held as part of 「SURF 2025 INCHEON」, with 15 participating companies presenting their mid-term evaluations through Investor Relations (IR) pitches. Through this process, four outstanding companies will be selected to receive additional commercialization funding as a follow-up benefit.Furthermore, at the Global Zone exhibition booths operated at the venue, 19 Cheongjingi participating companies and two overseas institutions conducted corporate promotions. This provided an opportunity to significantly strengthen domestic and international networking and investment capabilities.Shim Soon-ok, head of the Startup and Venture Division, stated, “This mid-term review demo day was a meaningful occasion for Cheongjin-gi companies to confirm their global market competitiveness and assess their readiness for overseas expansion,” adding, “We will continue to actively support young entrepreneurs in making the leap overseas.”