ICA secures contract for “Oull Honey Twinkle Mask Pack,” and expects to increase exports to ChinaThe Incheon Metropolitan City Government recently announced its “Four Year (2021~2024) Plan to Revitalize Incheon’s Beauty Industry” (hereinafter the “Plan”) to create a springboard that can propel the city’s beauty industry to new heights.Incheon listened to feedback from market participants across the beauty industry in Incheon, and reflected its findings in the “K-Beauty Innovation Comprehensive Strategy” announced by the central government on January 27 this year. The City Government also hosted the “Incheon Beauty Industry Revitalization Conference” to gather input from the industry.Using the Plan, Incheon hopes to fulfill its vision of creating an economic growth engine and positioning itself as a leading city in the beauty category by elevating beauty-related businesses to make sure they have the capacity to generate higher added value. Moreover, the City Government plans to revitalize the currently stagnant cosmetics market in Incheon and lay the groundwork for a new leap forward for Incheon’s beauty industry.▲​​​ The Incheon Metropolitan City Government recently announced its “Four Year (2021~2024) Plan to Revitalize Incheon’s Beauty Industry” to create a springboard that can propel the city’s beauty industry to new heights. The photo from a product briefing session at Oull Cosmetics in 2019. Meanwhile, the Plan includes the following promotional strategies and key initiatives:Support the growth of the beauty industry: ① Develop “beauty star” companies; ② Offer counseling for managerial and technical issues; ③ Support clinical trials; ④ Help identify potential markets (domestic/overseas); ⑤ Develop K-beauty industry experts; ⑥ Support testing, evaluation, and certification activities; ⑦ Support online marketing initiatives. With such support, the government will look to identify beauty companies with su

With its Grand Hall and Museum set to open in 2025, Art Center Incheon to rise in popularity as shooting locations for TV serials and programs​The Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) is eying its next leap forward as an international city of culture and art with the Art Center Incheon.Already two and a half years into its life, Art Center Incheon has built quite a reputation on the domestic performing arts scene with its spectacular lineup of performances, unrivaled sound, and planning capacity. The Center has also introduced a variety of cultural and arts education programs to provide citizens with opportunities to enjoy culture.Art Center Incheon is fulfilling its role in satiating the thirst for more culture and art among Incheon’s citizens, who expect more sophisticated lifestyles living in an international city (IFEZ). Once Incheon opens the Center’s Grand Hall and Museum, both of which are part of Art Center Incheon’s second phase, by the end of 2025, Art Center Incheon is expected to strengthen the cultural competence of IFEZ, and become a driving force propelling Incheon as a city of culture and art.▲Art Center Incheon has built quite a reputation on the domestic performing arts scene with its spectacular lineup of performances, unrivaled sound, and planning capacity. The Center has also introduced a variety of cultural and arts education programs to provide citizens with opportunities to enjoy culture. For the first phase of the Center, Incheon invested KRW 260 billion, and opened the 9-story (two stories in the basement, seven stories above ground/total floor area 51,977m2) building with a total seating capacity hall of 1,727 seats inside its Concert Hall.The exterior of Art Center Incheon, which was designed to mimic a maestro’s hand conducting an orchestra, has helped the Center become Incheon’s premier performance facility and a landmark of Songdo International City. It has a color-exposed concrete construction facade, and it is designed to

Incheon confirms a 5-year master plan, featuring 31 initiatives The Incheon Metropolitan City Government established a “5-year Fair Economy Master Plan” to establish a fair market order in Incheon by eradicating unfair trade practices, and to make Incheon a leading city in fair economy systems. Incheon’s 5-year Fair Economy Master Plan features 31 initiatives across three areas: Fair Trade, accompanied Growth and Consumers, and Labor. ▲ Incheon city established a 5-year plan for a fair economy in Incheon to make the city a leader in fair economy. Photo from the inauguration ceremony of the Incheon Metropolitan City Fair Economy Committee In the field of fair trade, Incheon plans to initiate projects to abolish unfair trade practices in construction, subcontracting in the manufacturing industry, culture, and arts to establish a fair market order. In addition, the city will launch a public delivery application service to support sales channels for small business owners, and on-site monitoring of affiliate business information disclosure to establish a healthy affiliate business culture. In the field of accompanied growth and consumers focusing on mutual growth through cooperation and protection of consumer rights and interests, Incheon will expand the Incheon Goods and Incheon e-Mall to support sales channels for small business owners, and promote a technology protection initiative for startups to revitalize the startup ecosystem. Moreover, the city will look to engage in consumer rights protection and damage relief projects in order to respond to the increase in e-commerce transactions. ▲ One of the key projects thatwill make Incheon a fair economy city is the Incheon e-EUM card project. In the labor sector, Incheon will provide legal counsel and education/training to protect workers and small enterprises, create a safe working environment, protect the basic rights and interests of workers under vulnerable conditions such as small workplaces, and resolve d

Incheon looking to open its long-anticipated Songdo Severance Hospital with 800 beds by 2026 With Incheon breaking ground for its long-anticipated Songdo Severance Hospital, the city’s southern districts are expected to get their very own major regional-level hospital in the near future. The Songdo Severance Hospital will feature research facilities dedicated to the bio-medical field, which can help the Hospital liaison with the Songdo Bio Cluster and Yonsei Science Park anchor collaboration between players across different industries, academia, and medical sector. Once online, Incheon is hoping that the Songdo Severance Hospital will create synergy in pushing the city’s “Bio New Deal,” a new deal policy tailored to Incheon’s medical and research environment. ▲ Aerial view of the Songdo Severance Hospital (tentative naming). The Hospital is expected to open in 2026. The Songdo Severance Hospital, expected to open sometime in December 2026, will feature a main building with 14 stories above ground, three stories below ground, and 800 hospital beds (total land area: 85,800m2 or 26,000 pyeong) inside the Yonsei University International Campus in Songdo International City. The Songdo Severance Hospital project is jointly promoted by Yonsei University, the Incheon Metropolitan City Government, and Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority based on an agreement for phase-2 of the international campus project between the “Incheon Metropolitan City-IFEZ-Yonsei University-Songdo Global Complex Development Co., Ltd.” Yonsei University Health System selected Samoo Architects and Engineers as the lead architecture firm August last year to design the Hospital. The Songdo Severance Hospital plans to provide specialized expert medical services using the top medical infrastructure in the nation available via the Yonsei University Health System. Along with medical services, the Hospital will serve as a regional-level hospital for the Gyeonggi-do and Incheon region as well

Healthy Incheon - Sports for allAccording to the National Sports for All Survey, the number of people not participating in regular sports activities (at least one 30-minute exercise session per week) jumped from 25.9% in 2019 to 29.5% in 2020. In other words, people are not only socially distancing from other people, but they are also socially distancing from exercising. Fortunately, with the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, some people are starting to recognize the importance of exercising regularly to boost their immune system. To help its citizens exercise safely and stay healthy, Incheon is offering a number of different sports activities.​ #Untact sports programsCOVID-19 has ushered in the era of “home training.” Spending more time at home has led to more interest in workouts people can do at home. On May 2, Incheon launched a home training program called “Fresh GYM” via its official website. Fresh GYM offers video lessons by professional sports for all instructors, and the City is planning to provide information on sporting facilities across Incheon with a new “My Neighborhood Sporting Facilities” feature. Also, Incheon is planning on dividing its ZOOM “Live Sports Classes” led by sports for all instructors at each Gun/Gu district into different sport types.#CustomFit workout programsIf you are curious about your fitness, and you want to learn what exercise best suits you, try using the “Fitness Verification Center.” The Fitness Verification Center is an accredited verification body designated by the Korean government that provides customized exercise prescriptions and fitness programs tailored to different fitness levels. Anyone over the age of 11 can use the Center for free. The Center provides an organized way of managing your fitness with exercise prescriptions based on data, such as body composition analyses and physical fitness measurements. Currently, Incheon operates three Fitness Verification Centers - the Dong-gu Fitness Verific

Incheon launches a Citizen’s Advisory Group, plans to open up the old Mayor’s residence to the public, and host a variety of other events for the anniversaryOn May 4, Incheon launched the Citizen’s Advisory Group to help organize the “Incheon Independence 40th Anniversary Event,” and host its first group meeting.Incheon is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its independence from Gyeonggi-do - Incheon became a direct-controlled municipality on July 1, 1981. To celebrate its 40th anniversary as an independent city with its citizens, take a look back at the city’s history, and present a vision for the city’s future, Incheon will host a variety of events leading up to and after July 1.The “Incheon 40 Years of Independence Citizen’s Advisory Group” features ten experts, including experts on local Incheon affairs, experts in urban and administrative affairs, event planners, and members of the general public. Together, these experts will offer advice to Incheon on how to organize the upcoming 40th anniversary event.​ ▲ On May 4, Incheon launched the Citizen’s Advisory Group to help organize the “Incheon Independence 40th Anniversary Event,” and host its first group meeting.Incheon Mayor Park Nam-choon said, “It has been 40 years since Incheon was promoted to a directly controlled municipality. To celebrate Incheon’s independence with its people, we are going to work with the people, right from the beginning.” He added, “Over the past 40 years, Incheon has grown into a mega-city, and size-wise it is the largest municipal city in Korea. It boasts a population of 3 million residents, and it has matured into a global economic hub with an international airport, ports, and a free economic zone.”As for the Group’s Chairperson, Hwang Gyu-cheol, the Chairperson of the Incheon Sarang Movement Citizen’s Council, was elected by the Group members, and Incheon National University’s Professor Seo Jong-gook was elected as Vice-Chairperson.Cha

Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority Notice No. 2021 - 95 The “one sketch” project in which the enjoyer becomes the proposer Public Artwork Idea Sketch Contest The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority plans to install public art work that captures the artistic creativity and cultural sensibility of the Incheon Free Economic Zone by discovering the creative ideas of citizens and developing them. ○ contest name : Songdo Solchan Park Public Artwork Idea Sketch Contest ○ Eligibility for application : Local residents and foreign residents (individual or group) in Korea ○ Target area : Songdo International City ○ Contest theme : Sketching the idea of public artwork in harmony with the sunset ○ How to submit : Download the documents and send an email - E-mail : hyorecious@korea.kr For more information, please refer attachment. April 28, 2021 Commissioner of Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, Incheon Metropolitan City

Incheon to take on 78 projects, create 58,000 employment opportunities by 2025 On March 19, Incheon City hosted a subcommittee meeting for Incheon’s Green New Deal, and took a full step towards transforming Incheon into an eco-friendly city. Following the Digital New Deal subcommittee held on the March 5, this meeting was convened to examine the performance of the Green New Deal and discuss future directions. ▲ Incheon’s Green New Deal is scheduled to promote a total of 78 projects with the goal of “environment and safety improvement, and creation of new growth engines.” (Photo of a donation event for the Incheon City Resource and Sharing Recycling Campaign​​​​​)​ A total of 78 projects are planned for the Incheon Green New Deal with the goal of “improving environment as well as safety, and creating new growth engines.” The initiative will aim to create 58,000 jobs by investing a total of KRW 5.6 trillion by 2025. In particular, at this meeting, participants discussed the overall direction for the Green New Deal, recent achievements, and development plans moving forward, including the establishment of the foundation for a hydrogen industry by signing an MOU with hydrogen-related organizations, and launching of the Eco-friendly City Promotion Group (a control tower overseeing the promotion of maritime and environmental policies,etc.). In particular, the experts who participated in the meeting gave in-depth advice on the future direction of the Incheon Green NewDeal. ▲ Photo of the Clean Ocean TF (a project included in the Incheon Green New Deal), and photo of the Sorae Port Sunset Bridge under construction. ▲ MOU for establishing the foundation for a hydrogen industry in Incheon Professor Won Dong-joon from Inha University discussed trends regarding the transition from renewable energy to regionally-led distributed energy, and recent discussions on the introduction of a carbon border tax in Europe. He also emphasized that it is essentia

Installing free Wi-Fi, LED lighting, cooling vents, heated chairs This year, bus stops across Incheon are going to get a makeover. 674 bus stops will be updated or replaced with smart and comfortable bus stops featuring not only free Wi-Fi connection, but also LED lighting, cooling vents, and heated chairs. Incheon is looking to spend KRW 22 billion on a major overhaul and expansion of the platforms and public Wi-Fi equipment, air-conditioning, and heating facilities at bus stops to make sure its citizens can wait for buses in a more pleasant environment. ▲ 674 bus stops in Incheon will transform into pleasant and smart bus stops with free Wi-Fi and air conditioning facilities, giving Incheon’s citizens a chance to wait for buses in greater comfort. (Photo of a standard bus platform design (Incheon-si) - regular-type) Throughout the year, Incheon will update and upgrade 674 bus stations on 205 bus routes that were revised on December 31, 2020. The Metropolitan City Government plans to install 500 platforms, whereas each Gun/Gu Office and IFEZ will install 124 and 50 new stations, respectively. Public transport is expected to become much more convenient for the public with more than five times the usual number of bus stations built every year (approximately 120 stations on a normal year). This initiative will bring the total number of bus stations in Incheon from 3,843 in 2020 to 4,517 in 2021. In addition to 300 bus information terminals(BIT), 950 public Wi-Fis models will also be installed at platforms, giving the public better Wi-Fi coverage at bus stops. ▲Standard bus platform design (Incheon-si) - closed-type (left) and open-type (right) ▲ Gyeyang-gu bus platform design (left), Songdo Dalbit Festival Park Station bus platform design (right) ​As for the BITs, Incheon is looking to install 200 new terminals, and replace 100 old terminals. Free public Wi-Fi units will be additionally installed at 950 stops, bringing the total to 3,500 bus stops. Currently

Incheon opens AI Innovation Center, creating a foundation for quantum computing Incheon is working with Amazon Web Services (AWS), a global cloud service company, to build an artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem customized to suit Incheon’s local conditions, which it hopes to use in building a sustainable smart city that can dramatically improve the lives of its citizens. AWS is the cloud computing business arm of Amazon (Amazon.com), the world’s largest e-commerce company. Incheon announced on March 31 that it had signed an “MOU for shared growth of AI future technologies” with AWS at its City Hall reception room. With this MOU, Incheon will work towards building an AI ecosystem tailored the city by actively utilizing AWS’ advanced technology and expertise in developing AI companies as well as innovative solutions featuring future technology (quantum computing). ▲ On March 31, Incheon signed an “MOU for Shared Growth of AI Future Technologies” with AWS. Incheon has long been at the Center of developing global business initiatives for Korea using its international cities - Songdo, Cheongna, and Yeongjong - as hubs for overseas expansion. The city is home to the world-class, state-of-the-art Incheon International Airport and Incheon Port, and a number of international organizations (e.g. Green Climate Fund), international schools(e.g. Chadwick International School), and multinational corporations. To date, Incheon has tried to pursue various collaborative projects with overseas entities and overseas expansion projects. However, there are many issues that need to be ironed out to facilitate the full-fledged global business expansion or cooperation with overseas players moving forward. Also, although Incheon’s old city center has been at the Center of multiple urban regeneration projects, Incheon will have to expand the target area and find more effective ways to improve medical services for people with poor access to hospitals and clinics. Incheon