Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. Today, about 3 million people live in the city, making it South Korea's third-most-populous city after Seoul and Busan. The city's growth has been assured in modern times with the development of its port due to its natural advantages as a coastal city and its proximity to the South Korean capital. It is part of the Seoul Capital Area, along with Seoul itself and Gyeonggi Province, forming the world's fourth-largest metropolitan area by population. Incheon has since led the economic development of South Korea by opening its port to the outside world, ushering in the modernization of South Korea as a center of industrialization. In 2003, the city was designated as South Korea's first free economic zone. Since then, large local companies and global enterprises have increasingly invested in the Incheon Free Economic Zone, including Samsung which chose Songdo International City as its new investment destination for its bio industry. As an international city, Incheon has held numerous large-scale international conferences, such as the Incheon Global Fair & Festival in 2009. The 17th Asian Games Incheon 2014 was also held in Incheon on 19 September 2014. Incheon has established itself as a major transportation hub in northeast Asia with the Incheon International Airport and Incheon Port.. The large volume of port traffic makes Incheon a Large-Port Metropolis using the Southampton System of Port-City classification .

History

The first historical record of the Incheon area dates back to 475 CE, during the reign of

King Jangsu Jangsu of Goguryeo (394–491, r. 413–491) was the 20th monarch of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was born in 394 as the eldest son of Gwanggaeto. He became the crown prince in 408, and upon his father's death in ...

of Goguryeo, by the name of Michuhol, which is supposed to be located on today's Munhak Hill (). The area underwent several name changes with successive kingdoms and dynasties. In Goryeo era, Incheon was called Gyeongwon () or Inju (). The current name was turned to Incheon in 1413. Later, Incheon County became Incheon Metropolitan Prefecture (dohobu, ). Old Incheon consisted of today's southern Incheon (i.e. Jung-gu, Dong-gu, Nam-gu, Yeonsu-gu, and Namdong-gu) and the northern part of Siheung City. The city center was Gwangyo-dong, where the prefecture office () and the local academy (hyanggyo, ) were located. The "original" two remaining buildings of the Incheon prefecture office are located in Munhak Elementary School, while the newly built (in 2001) prefecture office buildings are right across from

Munhak Baseball Stadium The Incheon SSG Landers Field is a baseball stadium located in Incheon, South Korea. Formerly named the Munhak Baseball Stadium, it is the home of the KBO League team SSG Landers. The stadium has been remodeled with Shinsegae affiliate brands, inc ...

Modern history

Another historical name of the city, Jemulpo (alternatively Romanized as Chemulpo), was not widely used until the opening of the port in 1883. It was frequently used until the Japanese annexation. After the opening of the Incheon port, the city center moved from Gwangyo to Jemulpo. Today, either Jemulpo or Gwangyo-dong is considered "Original Incheon" (). It was internationally known as Jinsen during Japanese rule, based on the Japanese pronunciation of Incheon's Chinese name. In 1914, the Japanese colonial government merged outer parts of old Incheon (including the former center of Gwangyo) with Bupyeong County, forming

Bucheon Bucheon () is a administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Bucheon is located away from Seoul, of which it is a satellite town, satellite city. It is located between Incheon and Seoul. Bucheon is the second ...

County. Between 1936 and 1940, some part of Bucheon County was recombined into Incheon City, by which some part of "old" Bupyeong was annexed into Incheon. Incheon was originally part of Gyeonggi Province, but was granted ''Directly Governed'' (now Metropolitan) City status on 1 July 1981; the city officially separated from the province. In 1989, neighboring islands and Gyeyang township of Gimpo County were ceded to Incheon and in 1995 Geomdan township of Gimpo Country and two counties of Ganghwa and Onjin were annexed to Incheon Metropolitan City. Incheon was known as Inchon prior to South Korea's adoption of a new Romanization system in 2000.

Major events

The city was the site of the Battle of Chemulpo Bay, where the first shots of the Russo-Japanese War were fired. During the Korean War, Incheon was occupied by North Korean troops on 4 July 1950. Incheon was the site of the

Battle of Inchon The Battle of Incheon (), also spelled Battle of Inchon, was an amphibious invasion and a battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations Command (UN). The operation involved so ...

when the United States troops landed to relieve pressure on the Pusan Perimeter and to launch a United Nations offensive northward. The result was a decisive UN victory and it was recaptured on 19 September 1950. was named after the tide-turning battle that ensued. Incheon has also hosted a series of major international events. The Global Fair & Festival 2009 Incheon was held in the Songdo District in August 2009. It was open from 7 August to 25 October for a period of 80 days. It was a comprehensive international event with global institutions and corporations as participants. Various musicians and artists performed during the event. The city hosted a meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers in February 2010. Incheon was the site of the third Global Model United Nations Conference, held from 10 to 14 August 2011. It first hosted the

Incheon Women Artists' Biennale The Incheon Women Artists' Biennale, held in Incheon, South Korea, and inaugurated in 2004, subsequently had editions in 2007, 2009, and 2011 that focused on the work of contemporary women artists. It is the first and only art biennale in the wor ...

in 2004 which expanded into welcoming international artists in its subsequent 2007, 2009 and 2011. Incheon hosted the

Asian Games The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation (AGF) from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until t ...

in 2014. It hosted the 6th OECD World Forum in 2018. Incheon was designated as the World Book Capital for the year 2015 by UNESCO.

Education

On 27 February 2007, Incheon declared itself an "English City," and inaugurated the "Incheon Free English Zone" program. The goal of the program is to make the city as proficient in English as Singapore. This is for the ultimate purpose of establishing Incheon as a commercial and business hub of northeast Asia (see Free Economic Zone below). The official slogan of the program is "Smile with English."

Higher education

Incheon is home to a number of colleges and universities: *

George Mason University George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origin ...

Korea Campus * Ghent University Global Campus *

Gyeongin National University of Education Gyeongin National University of Education (GINUE) ( 경인교육대학교) is a teacher training institution for future public elementary school teachers in South Korea. It was founded on May 23, 1946 under the name of Gaeseong School of Educatio ...

Incheon campus * Inha University (formerly Inha Institute of Technology) *

Gachon University Gachon University is an academic institute located in South Korea. The current structure of Gachon university is the result of a merger between four existing universities. Gachon University of Medicine and Science and Gachon-gil College merged ...

Medical·Ganghwa campus *

Gyeongin Women's College The name Gyeongin refers to the Seoul-Incheon corridor in South Korea, and is used as a name for the Gyeongin railway line, the Gyeongin Expressway, and the Gyeongin Canal (which was completed in 2011 and is now called the Arabaetgil Canal), all ...

* Inha Technical College * Incheon Catholic University *

Incheon City College Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...

* Incheon National University * Jaineung College * University of Utah Asia Campus * SUNY South Korea *

Anyang University Anyang University is a private university in Korea. Courses consist of undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and research programs. The main campus is located in Anyang City, south of Seoul in Gyeonggi province and the second campus is located ...

Ganghwa campus * Yonsei University International campus *

Korea Polytechnics II Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

* Seongsan Hyo University *

Juan International University ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

Primary and secondary schools

International schools: * Chadwick International School Songdo *

Overseas Chinese Primary and Middle/High School, Incheon Overseas may refer to: * ''Overseas'' (album), a 1957 album by pianist Tommy Flanagan and his trio *Overseas (band), an American indie rock band * "Overseas" (song), a 2018 song by American rappers Desiigner and Lil Pump * "Overseas" (Tee Grizzley ...

(인천화교소·중산중고등학교) * Cheongna Dalton School

Geography

Climate

Headquarters of the Green Climate Fund, Incheon has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

( Köppen: ''Cwa''), and humid continental climate ( Köppen ''Dwa'', respectively). Like other metropolitan cities, incheon has a strong urban heat island effect. Incheon's climate is about average compared to the rest of Korea, with 8 locations being cooler and 10 locations being warmer, and with 9 locations being wetter and 9 locations being drier. Incheon experiences each of its four seasons, distinctly feeling the rise and fall of temperature and humidity. The temperature however, never rises to an extreme, and the climate of the city is essentially mild. Incheon is swept by the seasonal winds as the northwesterly winds strike the city in the winter and the summer in Incheon is affected by gusts of the warm southwesterly winds.

Economy

Incheon forms the heart of Capital Industrial Region. During the industrialization of South Korea, several industrial complexes were built throughout the city, and as a result, the city was largely dependent on manufacturing industry. But with the designation of Incheon Free Economic Zone in 2003, the city is now making an effort to foster new growth industries. Major industrial parks include Bupyeong industrial complex, which hosts GM Incheon plant(formerly a GM Daewoo Incheon plant), Juan industrial complex, and Namdong Industrial complex. In recent years, bio industry is emerging as a new growth industry of the city. Currently, with the total production capacity of 330kℓ per year, the city ranks 2nd in the world by production capacity along with San Francisco, United States. The capacity is under expansion, and after completion in 2018, the city will rank 1st with the production capacity of 510kℓ. Also,

logistics industry The transport/transportation and logistics industry is a category of companies that provide services to transport people or goods. The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) lists transport below the industrials sector. The sector consist ...

is also experiencing a rapid growth, thanks to Incheon Airport, which was ranked fourth in the world by cargo traffic, and the expansion of Incheon Port.

Transportation

Incheon is a major domestic and international transport hub for Korea.

Incheon International Airport departures

Air

Incheon International Airport is South Korea's primary international airport and a regional air hub. In 2015, it was the world's 22nd busiest airport by passenger traffic, with 49,412,750 passengers. There were a total of 305,446 flights (300,634 international, 4,812 domestic) to and from Incheon International Airport in 2015, an average of 837 flights (824 international, 13 domestic) daily. Korea's two main carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, serviced 50.9% of flights, while low-cost and foreign carriers serviced the remaining 49.1% of flights. The airport is experiencing a rapid increase in passengers, and the opening of Terminal 2 in December 2017 spurred additional traffic. The airport was also featured in the Korean drama series, "Air City." Incheon International Airport ranked "5th in the world" among international airports.

Sea

Incheon's sea port is the second largest port in Korea after

Busan Port The Port of Busan () is the largest port in South Korea, located in the city of Busan, South Korea. Its location is known as Busan Harbor. The port is ranked sixth in the world's container throughput and is the largest seaport in South Korea. Th ...

. The International Passenger Terminal located at the port offers ferries to five cities in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

Dalian Dalian () is a major sub-provincial port city in Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, and is Liaoning's second largest city (after the provincial capital Shenyang) and the third-most populous city of Northeast China. Located on the ...

Qingdao Qingdao (, also spelled Tsingtao; , Mandarin: ) is a major city in eastern Shandong Province. The city's name in Chinese characters literally means " azure island". Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, it is a major nodal city of the One Belt ...

, Tianjin,

Dandong Dandong (), formerly known as Andong, is a coastal prefecture-level city in southeastern Liaoning province, in the northeastern region of People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese border city, facing Sinuiju, North Korea across the ...

, and Weihai. There are also ferries to Incheon's outlying islands as well as

Baengnyeong Island Baengnyeong Island (sometimes spelled Baekryeong; ) is a , long and wide island in Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea, located near the Northern Limit Line. The 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement which ended the Korean War specified that the fiv ...

inside of the Northern Limit Line.

Bus

Incheon Bus Terminal Incheon Bus Terminal, not far from Incheon City Hall, is the busiest bus station in Incheon, South Korea and the main gateway for intranational buses connecting Incheon city. It is operated by Incheon Transit Corporation which was founded by the ...

, located at its eponymous subway stop, offers express bus transportation to all parts of Korea. Many city bus lines offer transportation within city limits as well as to the neighboring cities of

Gimpo Gimpo () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Incheon, with which it shares the South Korean side of the Han River estuary, as well as Seoul and the lesser cities of Paju and Goyang. North Korea is across the Han River. The cu ...

, Seoul, and Siheung. Many intercity buses offer transportation between Seoul and Incheon.

Train

Local service to Guro, Seoul,

Cheongnyangni Cheongnyangni-dong is a neighbourhood, '' dong'' of Dongdaemun-gu in Seoul, South Korea. At this dong, there are many convenient buildings like many kinds of financial companies and banks, a branch of Lotte Department Store, and Cheongnyangni S ...

Uijeongbu Uijeongbu () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Overview Uijeongbu is located north of the Korean capital Seoul; it lies inside a Defile (geography), defile, with mountains on two sides, and com ...

and

Soyosan Soyosan is a mountain in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Its area extends across the cities of Pocheon and Dongducheon. It has an elevation of .An 2004, p.328. The mountain is home to two Buddhist shrines commemorating Silla priests Wonhyo and Uisan ...

is offered by Seoul's subway

Line 1 Line 1 or 1 line may refer to: Public transport Africa * Line 1 (Algiers Metro), Algeria * Cairo Metro Line 1, Egypt Asia China * Line 1 (Beijing Subway) * Line 1 (Changchun Rail Transit) * Line 1 (Changsha Metro) * Line 1 (Changzhou Metro) * L ...

. The line has 11 stations within Incheon and connects to the Incheon Subway at Bupyeong and Juan stations. Rapid service on the same line to Yongsan Station in Seoul depart from Dongincheon station and stops at major stations. The Airport Express ( AREX) line runs from Incheon International Airport to Seoul Station via Gimpo International Airport. The Incheon-Gimpo section was opened in March 2007 and was extended to Seoul station in December 2010. Passengers can choose a high-speed service stopping only at Incheon airport and Seoul, which takes 43 minutes but departs only every half-hour; or the all-station service which takes 53 minutes but leaves every six minutes.

KTX Korea Train eXpress (), often known as KTX (), is South Korea's high-speed rail system, operated by Korail. Construction began on the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992. KTX services were launched on April 1, 2004. From Seoul Station the ...

service was introduced on the AREX line on 30 June 2014, with stops at

Incheon International Airport Station Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 Station is a railway station on AREX and Incheon Airport Maglev. It is in Incheon International Airport's transport center near Terminal 1. Both commuter("All-stop") and express services stop at this stati ...

and

Geoman Station A yeoman was a member of an English social class, generally a freeman who owned his, or her, own farm. The term was also used in North America. Yeoman or yeomen may also refer to: Military *Yeoman (United States Navy), a rating in the United St ...

. There are additional plans to use the newly built

Suin Line The Suin Line (Suwon-Incheon) was a metro line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway serving the Seoul Capital Area. The original route, abandoned in 1995, was one of the few narrow-gauge railways in South Korea. Opened by the privately owned Chosen ...

to bring KTX service to Incheon Station by 2021.

Subway

The Incheon Subway has two subway lines serving the city. The first line connects to the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system at Bupyeong Station ( Seoul Subway Line 1), and AREX line at Gyeyang Station. It connects International Business District Station in Songdo to Gyeyang Station. The line has 28 stations on of track. The line also has transfer stations with the

at Woninjae Station, with the

Incheon Subway Line 2 Incheon Subway Line 2 is a 27 station subway line from Oryu-dong in Seo-gu to Incheon Grand Park., part of the Incheon Subway system. The line is also included as a part of the overall Seoul Metropolitan Subway network; Juan station has a fr ...

at Incheon City Hall Station, and with Seoul Subway Line 7 at Bupyeong-gu Office Station.

opened in July 2016 and runs from Geomdan Oryu Station to Unyeon Station. The automated line is long, and has 27 stations, including transfer stations at

Geomam station Geomam station is a railway station on AREX AREX (Airport Railroad Express) is a South Korean commuter rail line that links Incheon International Airport with Seoul Station via Gimpo International Airport. The section between the two airpo ...

with the AREX line, Juan Station with Seoul Subway Line 1 and

at Incheon City Hall Station. The Incheon subway is operated by the Incheon Rapid Transit Corporation (IRTC). There are additional plans for a third subway line in Incheon.

Korail The Korea Railroad Corporation (Korean: 한국철도공사, Hanja: ), branded as KORAIL (코레일, officially changed to in November 2019), is the national railway operator in South Korea. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, managed ...

has also constructed a new commuter rail line named

. The line opened in 2012 from Oido Station in Siheung to Songdo Station in Incheon. It was then extended in 2016, and now reaches Incheon Station where passengers can transfer to Seoul Subway Line 1. In 2020, the line was extended from Oido Station to

Suwon Station Suwon Station is a railway station in the city of Suwon, South Korea. The station was completely redeveloped in 2002 and 2003, and is now integrated with the Aekyung Shopping Mall (AK Plaza). This station serves Inter-city railway Gyeongbu Line K ...

. SMRT (one of three operating companies of Seoul Metropolitan Subway) has extended Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 7 to Bupyeong-gu office by 2011 and provided transfers to the Incheon Subway system. It has 3 stations within Incheon. By 2020, the line will further be extended westwards to Seoknam Station where it will be possible to transfer to Incheon Subway Line 2.

Free Economic Zone

The Incheon Free Economic Zone consists of the three regions of Songdo, Cheongna, and the island of Yeongjong, and has a total area of . The goal of IFEZ is to transform these three areas into hubs for logistics, international business, leisure, and tourism for the Northeast Asian region. The term 'Free Economic Zone' applies to the development in these three areas with the aim of improving the business environment for foreign-invested enterprises and the living conditions for foreigners. The zone is a specially designated area to create the most favorable business and living environment where foreign nationals can live and invest freely and conveniently. Incheon's Free Economic Zone, the first in Korea, was officially designated by the Korean government in August 2003. IFEZ is planned to be a self-contained living and business district featuring air and sea transportation, a logistics complex, an international business center, financial services, residences, schools and hospitals, and shopping and entertainment centres.

New Songdo City

Songdo International City Songdo International Business District (Songdo IBD) is a smart city or "ubiquitous city" & " Private town " built from scratch on of reclaimed land along Incheon's waterfront, southwest of Seoul, South Korea and connected to Incheon Internat ...

began development in 1994 and is being built on reclaimed land. It is designated to become a center of diverse international businesses, a hub for international trade, an area for knowledge-based technologies, and a place for eco-friendly urban living. Construction is due to be completed in 2020. * Development size: * Planned population: 252,000 persons * Construction duration: 1994~2020

Yeongjong Island

, Yeongjong International City's centering on the Incheon International Airport is being developed as an eco-friendly airport city scheduled to be completed by 2020. Paradise Co, a South Korean casino operator, said in October 2013 that it will build the country's largest casino on Yeongjong Island.

Cheongna

The Cheongna district, on the mainland adjacent Yeongjong Island, will focus on entertainment and will feature a world class theme park. It will also be a residential area with sports facilities, a floriculture complex, and a business area specially designed for international finance. * Development Size: * Planned population: 90,000 persons * Duration: 2004~2008

Administrative divisions

Incheon is divided into 8 districts (''gu'') and 2 counties (''gun''). * Bupyeong District () * Dong District () *

Gyeyang District Gyeyang District (Gyeyang-gu) is a ward in Incheon, South Korea. History The first historical record of Gyeyang-gu goes back to the Goguryeo kingdom in 470 AD under the name of Jubuto-gun. It was renamed to Bupyeong-dohobu in 1413 AD. It was lat ...

() *

Jung District Jung District (), meaning "Central District," is the name of a ''gu'' (district) in several South Korean cities: *Jung District, Busan *Jung District, Daegu *Jung District, Daejeon *Jung District, Incheon *Jung District, Seoul *Jung District, Ulsan ...

() *

Michuhol District Michuhol District (Michuhol-gu) is a municipal district in Incheon, South Korea. This district was called Nam (South) District until July 1, 2018.

() * Namdong District () *

Seo District Seo-gu (), or " Western District," is the name of a ''gu'' in several South Korean cities: * Seo-gu, Busan * Seo-gu, Daegu * Seo-gu, Daejeon * Seo-gu, Gwangju * Seo-gu, Incheon Seo District (Seo-gu) is the largest district in Incheon, South Korea ...

() * Yeonsu District () * Ganghwa County () *

Ongjin County Ongjin County may refer to: * Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea * Ongjin County, South Hwanghae Ongjin County is a county in southern South Hwanghae Province, North Korea. It is located on the Ongjin Peninsula, which projects into the Yellow ...

()

Demographics

According to the 2015 census, 32.6% of the population follow Christianity (23.1% Protestantism and 9.5% Catholicism) and 8.7% follow Buddhism. 57.9% of the population is irreligious. 0.8% of the population follow other religions including

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

, Muism, and Confucianism.

Sports

Incheon is home to the following professional and semi professional sports teams: Association football: The K League 1 team Incheon United FC.
The Incheon team was known to have a popular rivalry against former

Bucheon SK Jeju United Football Club (Hangul: 제주 유나이티드) is a South Korean professional football club based in Jeju Province that competes in the K League 1, the top division in South Korea. In the past, the club has been known as the ''Yukon ...

(now Jeju United), due to the teams' close geographical relationship. The

K4 League The K4 League is the fourth tier of the South Korean football league system. After 2019, the semi-professional Korea National League and the former amateur K3 League were rebranded into the current K3 League and K4 League. Competition format T ...

team

FC Namdong FC Namdong was a South Korean football club based in the district of Namdong-gu in the city of Incheon. The team was founded in 2019 and last played in the K4 League, a semi-professional league and the fourth tier of football in South Korea. In 2 ...

is based in the Namdong District of Incheon. The

WK League The WK League (Hangul: WK리그) is a semi-professional women's football league, run by the Korea Football Association (KFA) and the Korea Women's Football Federation (KWFF), which represents the sport's highest level in South Korea. The regular ...

team is named Hyundai Steel Red Angels. Baseball: The KBO League team SSG Landers.
The first Incheon-based professional baseball team were Sammi Superstars. Basketball: The WKBL team

Incheon Shinhan Bank S-Birds Incheon Shinhan Bank S-Birds ( ko, 인천 신한은행 에스버드) is a professional basketball club in the Women's Korean Basketball League The Women's Korean Basketball League (WKBL) (Hangul: 한국여자프로농구) is the premier professi ...

is based in Incheon. Between 1997 and 2021, Incheon hosted the KBL team

Incheon Electroland Elephants The Daegu KOGAS Pegasus (in Korean: 대구 한국가스공사 페가수스) is a professional basketball club in the Korean Basketball League (KBL). Established in 1994, the team plays in the KBL since its existence. Since 2021, the club is based ...

. Volleyball: The

V-League V-League or V.League may refer to: * V.League (Japan), a professional volleyball league * V-League (South Korea), a professional volleyball league * V-League (Philippines), a collegiate volleyball league * V.League 1 The V.League 1 ( vi, Gi� ...

teams are

Incheon Korean Air Jumbos Incheon Korean Air Jumbos ( ko, 인천 대한항공 점보스) is a South Korean professional volleyball team. The team was founded in 1969 and became fully professional in 2005. They are based in Incheon and are members of the Korea Volleyball Fe ...

(men's) and

Incheon Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders Incheon Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders ( ko, 인천 흥국생명 핑크스파이더스) is a South Korean women's professional volleyball team. The team was founded in 1971 and became fully professional in 2005. They are based in Incheon a ...

(women's). Munhak Sports Complex: The Munhak Sports Complex houses both a football stadium and a baseball stadium. The football stadium was Incheon's venue for the

2002 Football World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...

, and is also the home venue for Incheon United. The baseball stadium is the home venue for the SSG Landers. In April 2007, Incheon was selected as the host city for the

2014 Asian Games The 2014 Asian Games ( ko, 2014년 아시아 경기대회/2014년 아시안 게임, Icheon sip-sa nyeon Asia gyeonggi daehoe/Icheon sip-sa nyeon Asian Geim), officially known as the 17th Asian Games ( ko, 제17회 아시아 경기대회/제17회 ...

, beating out New Delhi. Yeonhui Cricket Ground: Yeonhui Cricket Ground is a purpose-built cricket stadium in Incheon built for cricket events at the 2014 Asian Games. The 2014 Asian Games featured cricket for both the men's and the women's event and this ground was used for the scheduled cricket matches played at the games. It is the first cricket stadium in South Korea. Incheon Football Stadium (Sungui Arena):

Incheon Football Stadium Incheon Football Stadium, also known as Sungui Arena Park, is a football-specific stadium in Incheon, South Korea. The stadium is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Incheon United of the K League. The stadium was d ...

is the first football-only stadium in Incheon. It was built in 2012 with a capacity for 20,891 spectators.

Points of interest

A number of Korea's western islands, including Ganghwa Island, Yeongjong Island, and

are also administered by Incheon. Baengnyeong Island is South Korea's westernmost point. * Bupyeong Station is where the Seoul Subway Line 1 and Incheon subway line intersect. There is a large under ground shopping center there mostly selling trendy women's clothing and cell phones. Above ground, there are many restaurants, additional shops, and a Lotte Mart. Bupyeong Station Underground Shopping Centre has 1,408 stores in 31,692m (official statistics from the National Archives of Korea), was officially certified as the place with the largest number of stores in the world by American World Record Academy in November 2014. * Jayu (Freedom) Park is a park near the city's port. The statue of General

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...

, as well as a memorial to the centennial anniversary of U.S. and Korea relations is located there. *

Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...

is Korea's only official Chinatown, located across from Incheon Station near Jayu Park. *

refers to an area surrounding the city's bus terminal. There is also a performance venue and a subway station. Within this area of Guwol-dong is Rodeo Street, a busy central square packed with restaurants and department stores. *

Wolmido Wolmido (월미도), also known as Wŏlmi-do, is an island off the coast of South Korea near Incheon. It was connected to the mainland by a highway in 1989, and was later connected by a monorail which opened in late 2019. It is a weekend desti ...

is the location of

Green Beach Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combina ...

, one of the landing sites for MacArthur's invasion force. It is now a local tourist attraction with a boardwalk, an

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

and many raw fish restaurants. Ferries run from Wolmido to Yeongjongdo and Jakyakdo. * Jakyakdo is a tiny island located in the harbor close between Wolmido and Yeongjongdo. There are many walkways and picnic spots, a restaurant, and seasonal rental rooms. *

Incheon Landing Operation Memorial Hall Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...

is a plaza and small museum dedicated to the Incheon Landing. Weapons and artifacts from the war and operation are displayed. *

Incheon Dohobu Cheongsa Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...

is the old government complex for Incheon. Located near Munhak Stadium, it has existed since at least the reign of King Sejong, about 1424 AD. *

Ara Canal The Ara Canal or Gyeongin Ara Waterway (Hangul: ) is a canal in South Korea linking the Han River to the Yellow Sea. It extends from the Seo-gu district in Incheon to the Gangseo-gu district in Seoul. The canal was built to control flooding ...

is a waterway connecting the Han River and the Yellow Sea. Along the canal is a park and a bike path that is increasingly becoming popular with the locals. * Korean-chinese cultural center was built by the Jung-gu District of Incheon to facilitate mutual understanding between Korea and China. *

Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village, or Songwol-dong Donghwa Village, is a fairy tale-themed village located in Songwol-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the p ...

was born from a renovation project to improve the envelopment of the village, and is now a main attraction amongst young people and children. *

Peking opera wall } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

is located in the heart of the

. File:Korea-us100.jpg, Monument to 100 years of friendship between Korea and the US in Jayu Park File:Jayumacarthur.jpg, The statue of MacArthur at Jayu Park File:Jayuwalkway.jpg, A walkway in Jayu Park File:Korea-Incheon-Chinatown-01.jpg, The only official

in South Korea File:Peking opera wall chinatown.jpg, Peking Opera wall Chinatown, Incheon, South Korea File:Korean-Chinese Cultural Center.jpg, Korean-chinese cultural center

in South Korea File:Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village.jpg, Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village in Incheon in South Korea File:Incheon-port.jpg, Port of Incheon File:Incheon bridge 2009.jpg,

Incheon Bridge The Incheon Bridge () is a reinforced concrete cable-stayed bridge in South Korea. At its opening in October 2009, it became the second bridge connection between Yeongjong Island and the mainland of Incheon. The Incheon Bridge is South Korea's ...

File:Jakyakdo.jpg, The tiny island of Jakyakdo File:Walmido promenade.jpg, Wolmido promenade File:Incheon City Hall.JPG,

Notable people

* Lee Je-no, member of NCT and its subunit NCT Dream *

Miyeon Mi-yeon, also spelled Mi-youn or Mi-yeun, is a Korean feminine given name. The meaning differs based on the hanja used to write each syllable of the name. Hanja , regulations of the Supreme Court of Korea permit the following 44 hanja with the r ...

(G)I-dle (G)I-dle (), stylized in all caps, is a South Korean girl group formed by Cube Entertainment in 2018. The group consists of five members: Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua. Originally a sextet, Soojin left the lineup on August 14, 202 ...

* Hapkido Grand Master

Han Bong-soo Han Bong-Soo (Hangul: 한봉수; August 25, 1933 – January 8, 2007), also known as Bong Soo Han, was a Korean martial artist, author, and the founder of the International Hapkido Federation. He was one of the foremost and recognized practiti ...

* Hangzoo, Rhythm Power * Myung Jae-nam * Kim Ryeo-wook,

Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their prominent ...

* Kim Hyo-yeon,

Girls' Generation Girls' Generation (), also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Originally a nine-piece ensembl ...

* Choi Min-ho, Shinee * Kang Ki-young *

Michaela Dietz Michaela Dietz (born November 1, 1982) is a Korean-American voice actress whose professional career started in 2005. She voiced the character of the lost 4th dinosaur member Riff on the PBS children's television series ''Barney & Friends'', Amet ...

, voice actress * Kim Gu-ra * Kim Nam-il, footballer *

Cho Yong-hyung Cho Yong-Hyung (, born 3 November 1983) is a South Korean footballer. He is known for his versatility as he can play as a full-back on either side of the pitch, as well as a centre back and a defensive midfielder. Cho Yong-Hyung is praised in ...

, footballer * Shin Ji, Koyote * Yoon Chae-kyung, April * Kang Hye-jung, actress * Kim Eun-jung, footballer *

Go Kyung-pyo Go Kyung-pyo (; born June 11, 1990) is a South Korean actor and comedian. He gained recognition for his role in the television series ''Reply 1988'' (2015–16) and has since starred in ''Don't Dare to Dream'' (2016) and '' Chicago Typewriter'' ...

, actor * Lee Sung-hyun, kickboxer *

Choi Ji-man Ji-man Choi (Hangul: 최지만; Hanja: 崔志萬; ; born May 19, 1991) is a South Korean professional baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). Choi is capable of playing at the designated hitter, first basem ...

, baseball player ( New York Yankees,

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

, Tampa Bay Rays) *

Bang Yong-guk Bang Yong-guk (born March 31, 1990), also known mononymously as Yongguk, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and best-selling author who served as the leader of boy group B.A.P up until his departure from TS Enterta ...

B.A.P B.A.P (; an acronym for Best Absolute Perfect) was a South Korean boy band formed in 2012 under TS Entertainment. B.A.P made their musical debut with the single "Warrior" on January 26, 2012, followed by the release of their debut EP ''Warrio ...

Ku Hye-sun Koo Hye-sun (; born November 9, 1984) is a South Korean actress, singer-songwriter, director and artist. She gained widespread recognition in the television dramas ''Pure in Heart'' (2006), ''The King And I'' (2007), ''Boys Over Flowers'' (2009) ...

, actress * Hyolyn, Sistar * Roh Ji-hoon, singer * Ryu Hyun-jin, baseball player (

Hanwha Eagles The Hanwha Eagles ( ko, 한화 이글스) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Daejeon. They are a member of the KBO League. The Eagles' home ballpark is Daejeon Hanbat Baseball Stadium. The Eagles have won the Korean Series on ...

, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays) *

Park Cho-a Park Cho-a (born March 6, 1990), known mononymously as Choa, is a South Korean singer. She is best known as a former member of the girl group AOA. Early life Choa was born on March 6, 1990, in Incheon, South Korea. She wanted to major in ...

, soloist and former member of AOA * Park Chae-Won (''known as

Gowon Gowon or Go Won may refer to: * Yakubu Gowon (born 1934), head of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria 1966-1975 * Kowon County, North Korea * "Go Won", a single formally introducing the eleventh member of Loona * Go Won, singer in South Kore ...

''), singer ( Loona). * Bang Min-ah, Girl's Day *

Nam Ji-hyun Nam Ji-hyun (; born September 17, 1995) is a South Korean actress who successfully transitioned from being one of the industry's premiere child artists to an acclaimed lead, well-loved for her roles in ''Queen Seondeok (TV series), Queen Seond ...

* Kyung Soo-jin *

Kim Young-kwang Kim Young-kwang (, born 28 June 1983) is a South Korean footballer who plays for Seongnam FC as a goalkeeper. Career In December 2006 he transferred to Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i in a deal reportedly worth around $2.2m International career He w ...

Sohyang Kim So-hyang ( ko, 김소향, , born April 5, 1978), known mononymously as Sohyang, is a South Korean singer-songwriter who has been dubbed by the international media as the "Korean Mariah Carey". According to Sohyang, her goal is to use her voi ...

, singer, author *

JinJoo Lee JinJoo Lee ( ko, 이진주; born November 15, 1987) is a Korean–American musician and singer. She is best known as the guitarist for the pop rock band DNCE. Life and career Early life JinJoo Lee was born in Incheon, South Korea on Novem ...

, DNCE * Ong Seong-wu, former member of Wanna One, actor and soloist * Yoo Seung-ho, actor *

Lee Kang-in Lee Kang-in ( ko, 이강인; born 19 February 2001) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for La Liga club Mallorca and the South Korea national team. Lee was the Asian Football Confederation's Asian ...

, footballer * Jung Seung-hwan, singer * Kim Sung-joo, singer, actor, UNIQ * Sung Dong-il, actor *

Sohee So-hee, also spelled So-hui, is a Korean feminine given name. Its meaning depends on the hanja used to write each syllable of the name. There are 45 hanja with the reading " so" and 24 hanja with the reading " hee" on the South Korean government's ...

, singer and member of Elris *

Park Nam-choon Park Nam-choon (; born 2 July 1958) is a South Korean public servant and politician who served as the mayor of Incheon Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, ...

* Doyeon, singer, actress and member of Weki Meki and WJMK * Young Kim * Hong Soo-hyun, actress *

Peggy Gou Peggy Gou is a South Korean DJ and record producer based in Germany. She has released seven EPs on record labels including Ninja Tune and Phonica. In 2019, she launched her own independent record label, Gudu Records, and released a DJ-Kicks ...

, DJ *Jeong Ye-in, singer and member of Lovelyz *Eunseo, singer and member of WJSN *Seo Ji-soo, singer and member of Lovelyz * Kim Won-pil, singer-songwriter, keyboardist and member of Day6 *Han Ji-sung, rapper, singer, producer songwriter and member of Stray Kids *

Do Han-se Do Han-se ( ko, 도한세, born September 25, 1997), also known mononymously as Hanse, is a South Korean rapper, singer and songwriter. He debuted as a member of South Korean group Victon in 2016. He debuted with his solo album ''Blaze'' on Sept ...

, rapper and member of Victon

International relations

Incheon is twinned with: * Alexandria, Egypt (2000) *

Anchorage Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

, United States (1986) * Banten, Indonesia (2009) *

Burbank Burbank may refer to: Places Australia * Burbank, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane United States * Burbank, California, a city in Los Angeles County * Burbank, Santa Clara County, California, a census-designated place * Burbank, Illinois, ...

, United States (1961) *

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...

, China (2007) * Haiphong, Vietnam (1997) * Honolulu, United States (2003) *

Kitakyushu is a Cities of Japan, city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fuku ...

, Japan (1988) *

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

, Japan (2010) * Kolkata, India (2007) * Manila, Philippines (2008) * Mérida, Mexico (2007) * Panama City, Panama (2000) * Philadelphia, United States (1983) *

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...

, Cambodia (2009) *

Shenyang Shenyang (, ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly known as Fengtian () or by its Manchu language, Manchu name Mukden, is a major China, Chinese sub-provincial city and the List of capitals in China#Province capitals, provincial capital of Lia ...

, China (2014) * Taoyuan, Taiwan (2009) * Tel Aviv, Israel (2000) * Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (2017) * Veneto, Italy (2010) * Vladivostok, Russia (2012) * Yekaterinburg, Russia (2009)

References

External links

*
National Institute of Biological Resources on Google Cultural Institute
{{Authority control Seoul Capital Area Special Cities and Metropolitan Cities of South Korea Port cities and towns in South Korea