Incinerator Plans Stir Conflict at Sudokwon Landfill Site

Concerns are growing over plans to build public resource circulation facilities at Sudokwon Landfill Sites, as direct landfilling of waste has now been banned. The Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corporation’s president said in a work report to the Environment ministry that landfill areas 3-2 and 4 could be considered for regional incinerators shared by local governments. With waste intake dropping sharply due to the ban on direct landfill of household waste in the metropolitan area this year, the corporation is reportedly reviewing the plan to build a regional incinerator to offset declining revenue. Seo-gu will hold a site selection committee meeting on the 21st to narrow twelve candidate locations down to three.

Endangered Duck Species Spotted in Incheon’s Gulpocheon

A globally endangered duck species, the baer’s pochard, has been spotted for the first time at Gulpocheon in Incheon. The Korea Association for Bird Protection says the species is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, with fewer than one thousand individuals remaining worldwide. Gulpocheon was once heavily polluted by industrial and household wastewater. But water quality has significantly improved after wastewater treatment facilities began operating in 1995 and cleanup efforts continued. 

Incheon City Choir Invited to World’s Largest Choral Convention

The Incheon City Choir has been officially invited to perform at the National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association, the world’s largest choral event. With the invitation, the choir will perform at the ACDA National Convention to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from March 7 to 10, 2027. Founded in 1959, the ACDA convention draws more than ten thousand conductors and musicians from around the world. The invitation recognizes the choir’s artistic excellence and highlights the growing global presence of Korean choral music and Incheon’s cultural scene.

Bank of Korea Incheon Branch Offers Holiday Loans for SMEs

The Bank of Korea’s Incheon Branch will provide special financial support to small and medium-sized businesses ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. Eligible companies are low- and mid-credit SMEs in Incheon, Bucheon, and Gimpo and the short-term working-capital loans they have received from financial institutions with a maturity of less than one year. The central bank’s Incheon Branch will support up to 50 percent of the loan amount to financial institutions at low interest rates. The support period runs from January 26 through February 13, and extensions will not be allowed. 

Korea’s First Port Wedding Hall to Open at Incheon Ferry Terminal

A wedding venue will open at Incheon Port’s International Ferry Terminal, where passenger numbers fell after the pandemic. This will be the first wedding hall ever built inside a domestic airport or port passenger terminal. The Incheon Port Authority says the venue, called “Marebella Wedding Songdo,” will open on the fifth floor of the terminal in April. The company plans to employ about 15 full-time staff and up to 70 event workers, targeting around 480 ceremonies per year.

Incheon Adds E-Scooter Accidents to Citizen Safety Insurance

Incheon Metropolitan City has added electric scooter accidents to the coverage of its citizen safety insurance program. The policy provides ten million won in the event of death and up to the same amount for permanent disability caused by e-scooter accidents. Starting this year, overseas Koreans who have filed domestic residence reports will also be covered during their stay in Incheon. Claims for any of the 16 covered disaster and accident categories must be filed within three years through the Korea Local Finance Association.

Incheon Seeks Welfare Facilities for Community Garden Program

Incheon’s Agricultural Technology Center announced it is recruiting institutions until February 6 for the 2026 welfare garden activity program to promote well-being through urban farming. Two senior welfare facilities in Incheon that already operate gardens or have space to create gardens will be selected. From March to November, a total of 16 sessions will be held, during which participants will learn crop cultivation methods, pest control, and eco-friendly farming while growing plants directly.

Sources: https://news.ifm.kr