- Every newborn in Incheon to get KRW 100 million until the age of 18 - - City urges the Korean government for a major shift in its policies - On December 18, Incheon Metropolitan City Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok announced the City’s new “100 million + i Dream” policy offering KRW 100 million to every newborn child in Inchon. 100 million + i Dream is the first policy of its kind in the country to provide uninterrupted support at all stages of a child’s upbringing from the prenatal stage to age 18. The key is to cover blind spots in the national policy and provide support where needed. Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok announces Incheon’s new “100 million + i Dream” policy at a press conference held in the briefing room of Incheon City Hall on December 18. Press conference announcing Incheon’s new “100 million + i Dream” policy In addition to the KRW 72 million currently available for each child (including parental benefits, child allowance, “first meeting” vouchers, and elementary, middle, and high school education subsidies), the City is now offering an extra KRW 28 million in “Angel Support” (KRW 10.4 million), “i Dream Allowance,” and transportation expenses for pregnant women. Depending on certain conditions (e.g. individual eligibility requirements and income), parents can receive up to KRW 340 million from the City. Given that Incheon has already secured the budget for its new policy next year, it plans to complete the required administrative processes (e.g. coordinating with other social security systems) to activate the program on the earliest possible date. Angel Support is a project that provides a total of KRW 8.4 million (KRW 1.2 million per year) in addition to the KRW 2 million in first meeting vouchers that celebrate the birth of a child through ages 1 to 7. It applies to children born in 2023 who turn a year old next year. Also, for the first time in the country, Incheon is offering what it calls the “i Dream Allowance,” which

- Zone D (230,000㎡) follows Zones A and B (210,000㎡) returned back in 2019 - - Incheon wants to establish a master plan for next year and build a second medical center as well as a botanical garden after extensive public discourse - Camp Market, which was used as an armory during the Japanese colonial period in 1939 and then as a US military base in Korea after liberation, has been returned to Incheon. Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok held a press conference at City Hall on December 20 and announced that control over Zone D (230,000㎡) of the Bupyeong US Military Base (hereinafter referred to as “Camp Market”) is now back in the hands of Korean authorities (US Forces Korea →Ministry of Defense), and that the entire compound (440,000㎡) will be handed over to the public. Layout of Camp Market View of Camp Market The Korean government also announced the return of Camp Market Zone D on the same day as well. Camp Market's relocation plan was finalized in accordance with the 2002 Korea-US Land Partnership Plan. In December 2019, Zones A and B (210,000㎡) were handed back to Korea, but US Forces stayed in control of the remaining Zone D. SortReturned Area (440,000㎡)Surrounding Area(Bupyeong Park, etc., 160,000㎡)Zone AZone BZone DArea109,961㎡100,804㎡229,235㎡164,938Returned (US Army → Ministry ofDefense)December 11, 2019December 20, 2023-Contamination Cleanup (Ministryof Defense)June 2020 ~ December 2023June 2020 ~ December 2023(After return)-PlanNew Incheon Medical CenterFire station, roadsParkPark, roadsPark, etc. Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said, “After 84 long years, we now have full control over Camp Market once again. On behalf of all 3 million of my constituents, I sincerely welcome the full return of Camp Market to Incheon.” The Mayor added, “The Camp Market project will involve a full cleanup of the compound, and we will take in feedback from the public and use it to determine how we develop the area going forward. We want to connect the area to

- Committee includes 30 experts from various fields and members selected from the general public... Different departments created to promote efficiency -- Committee will provide policy advice, including feedback on proposed projects in its master plan to be announced this month -Incheon Metropolitan City announced that it commissioned 30 members to the “Jemulpo Renaissance Committee” featuring experts from various fields and held its inaugural meeting in the Video Conference Room at City Hall on December 13.Commissioning Ceremony and Inauguration Meeting for the Jemulpo Renaissance CommitteeThe Jemulpo Renaissance Project is a flagship urban development project launched by Incheon’s 8th democratically elected administration. It involves redeveloping Incheon Port’s inner harbor and old downtown area in Jung-gu and Dong-gu into a culture, tourism, and industry hub powered by sustainable growth engines. Incheon plans on expanding the scope of the Projecto to include all of its old urban centers.The City established a new Committee to help promote the Project, which was the first pledge of the current administration, more efficiently and to come up with a plan to revitalize Jemulpo-gu (tentative naming) and its surrounding areas. The Committee is chaired by Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, and features experts in different fields as well as City and District council members, and private sector experts.The Committee will be tasked with establishing and amending the “master plan” for the Project, identifying and promoting major policies, improving laws and other systems, advising on the overall Jemulpo Renaissance Project, and communicating with the public To improve efficiency, the Committee will be divided into an “Old Downtown Division” and “Inner Port Division” in the form of subcommittees.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said, “We’ve worked very hard to give back the waterfront area around Jemulpo to our citizens for the first time in 140 years. In that sense,

- City expands its network of “priority signaling service for emergency vehicles” from 11 to 53 fire departments -- Additional emergency vehicles are getting special units that turn traffic signals green to ensure quicker response time -Incheon Metropolitan City plans on giving priority to emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks dispatched in response to an accident or disaster.The City announced that it is expanding its “priority signaling service for emergency vehicles” so that emergency vehicles can reach their destinations quickly and safely without waiting at or violating traffic signals.Priority signaling service for emergency vehiclesThe priority signaling service for emergency vehicles was launched as a pilot project across eleven fire departments and fifteen emergency vehicles connected to the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) in April this year. Given its success, Incheon is expanding the program to 113 emergency vehicles across 53 government agencies from November.When an emergency vehicle requests the priority signaling service using a device installed inside the vehicle itself, an artificial intelligence (AI) system automatically collects the vehicle's current location, real-time traffic information, and computes when and how to control traffic signals to keep the road open as the emergency vehicle drives to the scene of an accident or disaster. 

- Incheon Culture and Art Center offering premium year-end performances between KRW 10,000 and 20,000 per ticket - Incheon if offering a variety of performances to celebrate the end of the year. Going against the recent inflation, the City is giving locals a chance to enjoy premium performances in a top-quality venue at a reasonable price between KRW 10,000 and KRW 20,000. This year, Incheon will host year-end performances at various locations across the City given that the Incheon Culture and Art Center is undergoing some renovations. Each performance is expected to add some color to the end of 2023 with a variety of sessions, including a choir concert for Christmas, a Korean dance performance showcasing the power of K-culture, and a year-end concert to make people look forward to a new year and new spring. Singing the excitement and joy of Christmas. On December 14 (Thursday), the Incheon Metropolitan Choir will perform its “Merry Christmas” concert at Songdo Art Center Incheon in eager anticipation of Christmas. In the first half of the concert, soprano Yun-Jeong Lee and the Lafuse Players Orchestra will perform “Magnificat” by John Rutter, a renowned choral composer of the 20th century from England. Next, Lee will sing a collection of various carols and winter songs with the “Wizard Choir,” a children’s choir that won a gold medal at the Gangneung World Choir Competition. Incheon Metropolitan Choir “Merry Christmas” An album of beautiful scenes and Korean dances the world is passionate about On December 16, the Incheon Metropolitan Dance Theatre will perform at the Bupyeong Art Center in a year-end special project “Landscape of Korean Traditional Art,” that could offer a glimpse into the various scenes of beautiful Korean dance, with commentary delivered by Park Eun-young. “Landscape of Korean Traditional Art” by the Incheon Metropolitan Dance Theatre Special Christmas tales by pianist Yoonhan Incheon Culture and Art Center's signature

- Center to educate, train, and showcase domestically produced medical devices for domestic and foreign medical personnel -- Covers the entire bio industry, from bio medicines to medical devices -Incheon Metropolitan City announced that it hosted an opening ceremony for the “Incheon Metropolitan City Education and Training Support Center for Korean Medical Devices” on November 30 at HLB Biostep Co., Ltd. in Songdo, with more than 150 officials from related organizations and companies in attendance.Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok delivers a welcome speech at the “Opening Ceremony for the Incheon Metropolitan City Education and Training Support Center for Korean Medical Devices” at HLB Biostep on November 30Notable attendees included Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, Kim Hyeon-joo (Director of the Health Industry Promotion Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare), Kim Dong-seok (Director of the Industrial Promotion Division at the Korea Health Industry Development Institute), Park Heung-gyu (Deputy Director of Gachon University Gil Hospital), Choi Gwang-seong (Director of the Biomedical Research Institute at Inha University Hospital), Moon Jeong-hwan (CEO of HLB Biostep), and Lee Joo-ho (Director of Incheon Techno Park), all of whom congratulated the opening of the Center and vowed to make the Center a success.Designed to develop the domestic medical device industry, the Center supports education, training, and exhibitions so that domestic and foreign specialists and related medical personnel can try using domestically-made medical devices and eventually purchase local products.Supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea Health Industry Development Institute, and Incheon Metropolitan City, a consortium between Incheon Techno Park, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Inha University Hospital, and HLB Biostep Co., Ltd. will invest KRW 18.8 billion over five years to open and operate the Center.Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said, “Incheon is no. 1 in the wor

- Autonomous driving buses will now service routes in Songdo, Yeongjong, Incheon City Hall, and Incheon International Airport -- City wants to bring in autonomous driving research institutes and companies to develop a plan for the shared development between the public, private sectors, and academia -Incheon Metropolitan City announced that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has designated four locations in and around Incheon City Hall, Songdo, Yeongjong, and Incheon International Airport as pilot zones for autonomous driving vehicles.As such, the City plans to enact an ordinance to help operate and support the new pilot zones as early as the first half of 2024, review the autonomous driving project, and promote various services using autonomous vehicles in the second half of next year.Previously, Incheon applied to become a pilot site for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport last August to prepare for a major paradigm shift in future mobility and to develop the local economy in connection with the autonomous driving industry.The number of pilot zones newly designated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has jumped to ten across the country, bringing the total to 34 zones so far.The autonomous driving vehicle pilot zone is an area where various regulatory special provisions are applied to promote research and trials involving autonomous driving vehicles.Incheon City Transportation Director Kim Jun-seong said, “The designation of Incheon’s first autonomous driving vehicle pilot zone means that we have taken the first step toward becoming a city that specializes in future mobility.” He added, “We're looking to attract research institutes and companies linked to autonomous driving in order to help us plan for the shared development between the public, private sectors, and academia. By doing so, we want to promote the innovative growth of local industries and create new jobs.”Incheon City HallSongdo Central ParkYeo

- Mayor meets US Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg -- Shares information on policies designed to support overseas Koreans and vision to make Incheon a top-10 city in the world...Asks US for additional support for Korean Americans -Incheon Metropolitan City Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok met with US Ambassador to Korea Philip S. Goldberg to discuss possible means to strengthen the City’s cooperation with major cities in the US.According to the City Government, on November 30, the Mayor met Ambassador Goldberg in the reception room at the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority building for a friendly conversation on cooperation between the two countries and the City’s vision for the future.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok met with US Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg at the G Tower in Yeonsu-gu on November 30 to discuss possible cooperation.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok met with US Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg at the G Tower in Yeonsu-gu on November 30 to discuss possible cooperation, and gifted a souvenir to the Ambassador.Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said, “This year is an important year as it marks the 70th anniversary of the ROK-US alliance and the 120th anniversary of the first batch of Koreans emigrating to America.” He added, “Incheon has been an eager supporter of the ROK-US alliance. In September, the City hosted a ceremony celebrating the victory at the Battle of Incheon.” The Mayor says the progress in Korea’s alliance with the US following the recent Korea-US summit is a positive development.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok then highlighted the strengths of Incheon, which is where the first Koreans left the country to emigrate overseas and it is now home to the Overseas Koreans Agency. The also Mayor shared his vision to make Incheon one of the world's top-10 cities by strengthening its network with overseas Koreans. Since opening the Overseas Koreans Agency, Incheon has sought support and cooperation to work as a bridge between Korea and the US.At the meeting, the Mayor explained

- Mayor meets UN Assistant Secretary-General on November 20 to discuss cooperation and growth between Incheon and the UN -On November 20, Incheon Metropolitan City Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok met with UN Assistant Secretary-General Chandramouli Ramanathan, who was on an official visit to Incheon, at the reception room inside the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority to discuss mutual cooperation and development plans between the UN and Incheon.Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok meets UN Assistant Secretary-General Chandramouli RamanathanThe Assistant Secretary-General thanked Incheon for its continued interest and support for the UN. The City is now home to seven UN organizations, including the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific East and North-East Asia Office (UNESCAP ENEA), and the UN Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (UNAPCICT). He also emphasized the crucial role of local governments in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is a worldwide issue, and that working toward the SDGs is an investment in our future and a driving force for social change.* 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A total of 17 goals and 169 targets to achieve the goals, adopted by the United Nations in 2015 to solve global social, economic, and environmental problems, and to build a sustainable future globally by 2030.Commemorative photo taken after meeting with the UN Assistant Secretary-GeneralMayor Yoo Jeong-bok said, “I respect and thank the United Nations for its efforts to maintain world peace and international cooperation in the international community.” He asked for the UN and the Assistant Secretary-General’s attention going forward saying, “In particular, the Asian continent occupies one-third of our planet’s habitable land mass and 60% of the world’s population. As the only divided country in the world, and considering the spirit of the UN, which champions freedom, p

- Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon agree on transportation solutions for the metropolitan area -- Incheon also to prioritize participating in the climate “companion card project” for the metropolitan bus network -On November 17, Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok reached an agreement with the Seoul Metropolitan City Government on the “Airport Railroad-Seoul Metro Line No. 9 Project,” which had been in a stalemate for the past 24 years. The decision is expected to improve the transportation system for local residents traveling between Incheon and Seoul.In addition to the Airport Railroad-Seoul Metro Line No. 9 Project, the Mayor also agreed with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to join the Climate Companion Card project scheduled for January next year.MOU signing ceremony between Incheon and Seoul on resolving traffic issuesIncheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon are signing an MOU at the “MOU signing ceremony between Incheon and Seoul on resolving traffic issues” inside Seoul City Hall on November 17.Despite getting a green light from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 1999, the Airport Railroad-Seoul Metro Line No. 9 Project had been mired in a stalemate over the operating and facility costs between Incheon and Seoul. On November 17, however, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Metropolitan Transport Commission), Incheon, and Seoul managed to reach an eagerly anticipated agreement.As per the new arrangement, Seoul will cover the entire operating cost expected from connecting the Airport Railroad to Seoul Metro Line No. 9. Here, considering the transportation benefits for its citizens, Incheon agreed to share half of the facility expenses with Seoul.Thus, passengers in both Incheon and Seoul will soon benefit from a much more seamless transportation system, including an 8% reduction in congestion on Line No. 9 express trains and the ability to connect to the Seoul Metro system without having to trans