Incheon Secures 6.3921 Trillion KRW in Next Year’s Government Budget

Incheon has announced that the government’s 2025 budget proposal, submitted to the National Assembly on September 3, includes a total of 6.3921 trillion KRW in funding allocated to Incheon.

Of this, 5.3379 trillion KRW is earmarked for national subsidy projects, while 1.0542 trillion KRW is designated for state-led projects.

The amount represents an increase of 522.4 billion KRW (8.9%) from this year’s 5.8697 trillion KRW, marking the largest allocation Incheon has ever secured.

The city stated that it will continue to strengthen administrative efforts to secure additional funding by working closely with the Central Cooperation Office, local lawmakers, and through the operation of its National Budget Situation Room.

Incheon Named Best Metropolitan Government for Intellectual Property Promotion

Incheon announced that it was selected as the top institution in the metropolitan government category at the 8th Intellectual Property Day ceremony, hosted yesterday (4th) by the Presidential Council on Intellectual Property. The city received the Council Chairperson’s Institutional Commendation.

The evaluation was conducted under the 3rd Basic Plan for Intellectual Property, assessing 66 projects from 14 central ministries and the intellectual property promotion initiatives of 17 metropolitan governments. Criteria included the excellence of policy tasks, ripple effects, and implementation strategies.

Incheon’s regional IP promotion projects, pursued under the vision of “Incheon, a Digital-Based Intellectual Property Convergence and Innovation City,” achieved outstanding results, earning the city the highest recognition in this year’s evaluation.

Philippine Local Government Delegation Visits Incheon to Learn Smart City Policies

A delegation of local government officials from the Philippines visited Incheon yesterday (4th).

The visit was part of the Philippine Local Government Capacity-Building Training Program, jointly organized by the Korea Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management and the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP). More than 20 participants, including local government leaders and senior officials, took part in the program.

The delegation toured the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Promotion Center and the Smart City Operations Center, where they learned about Incheon’s urban innovation strategies and experienced firsthand its advanced monitoring systems for transportation, security, and the environment.

One participant remarked, “It was a highly beneficial opportunity to gain valuable insights into Incheon’s digital governance and smart city operations.”

Construction of 103-Story Tower in Songdo to Begin Next Year, Final Completion Set for 2033

The development project for Zones 6 and 8 of Songdo International City in the Incheon Free Economic Zone—including a 103-story skyscraper—is set to break ground next year.

At a plenary session of the Incheon City Council yesterday (4th), the IFEZ Commissioner stated that the project, covering approximately 1.26 million square meters, being about 380,000 pyeong, will complete revisions to its implementation plan within this year, with land sale agreements and the first-phase groundbreaking scheduled for next year.

The project will be carried out in three phases. Phase 1 will include revenue-generating facilities such as mixed-use residential complexes (M3, M4), a golf course, and the 103-story tower, along with infrastructure including a cultural park and roads.

Incheon Office of Education Supports Early-Career Teachers in Science Inquiry Activities

The Incheon Office of Education’s AI Convergence Education Center announced that it conducted a science inquiry project consulting session on September 3 at Seoknam Middle School in Incheon.

The session aimed to support early-career teachers in guiding science inquiry projects and to help students carry out customized research activities. Using the theme of developing a water-collection device inspired by cactus spine structures, the program enhanced the completeness of student-led projects while providing teaching support to less-experienced educators.

Education researchers and a vice principal with expertise in inquiry guidance visited the school to carefully review students’ project outputs and provide tailored coaching. Early-career teachers observed the process closely, gaining practical strategies for effective inquiry-based instruction.

Yeongjong-gu Office Building to Be Completed by End of 2030 Following Next Year’s Launch

With Incheon’s administrative reorganization set to establish Yeongjong-gu in July next year, the construction of the new district office building is moving forward in earnest.

Yeongjong-gu will be newly formed around Yeongjong-do, separated from the existing Jung-gu and Dong-gu.

Construction of the Yeongjong-gu Office is scheduled to begin in 2029 and be completed by December 2030.

Yeonsu-gu Takes Action to Prevent “Lonely Deaths” Among Low-Income Residents

Incheon’s Yeonsu-gu has announced the completion of a comprehensive survey on the living conditions of single-person households to identify socially isolated residents and prevent cases of lonely death. The district is now moving forward with tailored welfare services based on the findings.

The survey revealed that more than half of respondents were classified as being at risk of lonely death, prompting the district to introduce proactive welfare measures.

Conducted over a month beginning in May, the survey targeted newly registered low-income single-person households. It assessed health conditions, financial situations, levels of isolation risk, policy needs, and preferred channels for receiving welfare services.

Of the 311 respondents from a total of 428 households, 176 were categorized as at risk of lonely death, including 7 in the high-risk group, 31 in the medium-risk group, and 138 in the low-risk group.

Namdong-gu to Host Festivals at Traditional Markets and Local Shopping Streets

Incheon’s Namdong-gu has announced that it will hold festivals throughout September at traditional markets and neighborhood shopping areas to boost the local economy.

The first event, the Makgeolli Festival, takes place today (5th) at Jangseungbaegi Market, followed by the No-Mac Festival on September 12–13 at Guwol & Incheon Moraenae Markets.

At each festival, visitors can enjoy refreshing drinks, a variety of foods, and diverse community programs such as a local singing contest.

Sources: https://news.ifm.kr