Incheon Expands Real-Time Parking Information Service to Private Parking Lots

The Incheon Metropolitan Government is expanding its real-time parking information service from public parking lots to private facilities. 

The city has provided integrated information on public parking lots through the Incheon Traffic Information Center website since January, following the establishment of a comprehensive public parking information plan last year. 

With the parking information service now expanding into the private sector through the latest agreement, the city expects the number of private parking facilities offering real-time availability information to continue to grow.

Key Rings and Toys Account for 80% of Counterfeit Goods Seized by Incheon Customs

Nearly eight out of every ten counterfeit goods seized by Incheon Customs during the first half of this year were key rings and plush toys. 

According to the Incheon Main Customs Office, authorities seized 136,000 items in 19 intellectual property rights infringement cases between January and June. 

Of those, 106,000 were plush toys and key rings, accounting for 77.9 percent of the total. 

Plush toys and key rings have made up a significant share of counterfeit goods seized over the past three years, accounting for 41.9 percent in 2024 and 22.6 percent last year. 

This year, however, the smuggling of counterfeit plush toys and key rings surged even as the overall volume of counterfeit goods seized declined significantly.

Incheon Gears Up for September’s InChina Forum

With a major Korea-China international conference set for September, the Incheon Metropolitan Government is stepping up its efforts to strengthen grassroots diplomacy, with young people taking the lead. 

The city recently wrapped up InChina Road, a youth cultural exploration program held as a pre-event initiative for the 2026 InChina Forum International Conference. 

The program gave university students an opportunity to explore Incheon’s Open Port area, a hub of Korea-China exchanges since the port opened in 1883, as well as the high-tech district of Songdo. 

The program was designed to encourage young people to explore potential models for mutually beneficial cooperation between Korea and China.

Interactive Play ‘Departure’ to Take Audiences on an Immigrant Journey

The Incheon Metropolitan Government will stage an immersive, interactive play titled, “Departure: The Immigrants' Journey with You,” from September 11 to 13 at Ieum 1977, a modern architectural heritage site. 

The production breaks away from the conventional theater format, allowing audience members to become part of the story as they move through the venue and experience the turbulent journeys of immigrants firsthand. 

Taking on the role of passengers, audience members will follow a crew member named Vador as they embark on a voyage and encounter figures who became icons of an era when people had to cross rough oceans in search of a new life. 

Online reservations will open at 9 a.m. on August 28. Details on how to apply will be available through the official Instagram account of 1883 Open Port Salon.

Incheon to Host Second Jemulpo Wave Market

The Incheon Metropolitan Government will hold the second Jemulpo Wave Market 2026 from August 29 to 30 at Sangsang Platform, with “gastronomy” as this edition’s main theme. 

The Jemulpo Wave Market is a signature local pop-up market that has been held since 2024, bringing together local brands from across Incheon, as well as residents and tourists. 

Under the theme “The Taste of Incheon,” this month’s market will showcase the charm of Incheon’s old downtown through a variety of food, hands-on activities, performances and events. 

Incheon City Theater Presents New Family Play, ‘Sending Off’ 

The Incheon City Theater Company will present its 98th regular production, “Sending Off,” from September 12 to 20 at the Small Theater of the Incheon Culture & Arts Center. 

Taking the stage just ahead of the Chuseok holiday, the new family play explores the emotions and relationships that family members sometimes put off confronting precisely because they are so close to one another. Set in the yard of a small country home in Damyang, the play follows two brothers who reunite after a long time when they hear that their father, who is living in a nursing hospital, is nearing the end of his life. 

Sources: https://news.ifm.kr