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 South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

, bordering

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

and

Gyeonggi Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...

to the east. Inhabited since the

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several part ...

, 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

and

Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea ...

. 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 The Seoul Capital Area (SCA), Sudogwon (, ) or Gyeonggi region (), is the metropolitan area of Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province, located in north-west South Korea. Its population of 26 million (as of 2020) is ranked as the fifth largest ...

, along with Seoul itself and

Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the ...

, 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 The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...

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 Incheon International Airport (IIA; ) (sometimes referred to as Seoul–Incheon International Airport) is the largest airport in South Korea. It is the primary airport serving the Seoul Capital Area and one of the largest and busiest airports ...

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 ...

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled mos ...

, 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 Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unifica ...

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.

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 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

, 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 The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

were fired. During the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

, Incheon was occupied by

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and ...

n 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 ...

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 th ...

in 2014. It hosted the 6th

OECD The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate ...

World Forum in 2018. Incheon was designated as the World Book Capital for the year 2015 by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...

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 Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

. 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 orig ...

Korea Campus *

Ghent University Ghent University ( nl, Universiteit Gent, abbreviated as UGent) is a public research university located in Ghent, Belgium. Established before the state of Belgium itself, the university was founded by the Dutch King William I in 1817, whe ...

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 National University * Jaineung College *

University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of D ...

Asia Campus * SUNY South Korea * Anyang University Ganghwa campus *

Yonsei University Yonsei University (; ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. As a member of the " SKY" universities, Yonsei University is deemed one of the three most prestigious institutions in the country. It is particularly respected in t ...

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 (인천화교소·중산중고등학교) * Cheongna Dalton School

Geography

Climate

Headquarters of the Green Climate Fund, Incheon has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen: ''Cwa''), and

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

( Köppen ''Dwa'', respectively). Like other metropolitan cities, incheon has a strong

urban heat island An urban heat island (UHI) is an urban or metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. The temperature difference is usually larger at night than during the day, and is most apparen ...

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 San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, 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 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

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 International Passenger Terminal located at the port offers ferries to five cities in China:

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 ...

, Qingdao,

Tianjin Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popu ...

, Dandong, and Weihai. There are also ferries to Incheon's outlying islands as well as Baengnyeong Island inside of the Northern Limit Line.

Bus

Incheon Bus Terminal, 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 Bucheon,

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 c ...

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

Train

Local service to

Guro Guro may refer to: *Ero guro, a Japanese art movement focusing on eroticism and the grotesque *''Guro'', the Filipino word for "teacher", a teacher of Filipino martial arts; derived from the Sanskrit word ''guru'' * Guro-dong, a ''dong'' (neighbor ...

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 city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Overview Uijeongbu is located north of the Korean capital Seoul; it lies inside a defile, with mountains on two sides, and commands a natural choke point across the main traditional inv ...

and Soyosan 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

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 service was introduced on the AREX line on 30 June 2014, with stops at Incheon International Airport Station 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 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 Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a rapid transit and commuter rail line which links central Seoul, South Korea to Soyosan Station in the northeast, Incheon in the southwest, and Sinchang (Soonchunhyang Univ ...

), 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 Suin Line 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 fre ...

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 with the AREX line, Juan Station with

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 has also constructed a new commuter rail line named Suin Line. 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

. In 2020, the line was extended from Oido Station to Suwon Station. 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 Inter ...

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 () * 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 Ganghwa County is a county in the city of Incheon, South Korea. The county is composed of Ganghwa Island, and the minor islands around it. History Ganghwa County contains some of the most important historical sites in Korea. These sites cover ...

() * Ongjin County ()

Demographics

According to the 2015 census, 32.6% of the population follow

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...

(23.1%

Protestantism Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

and 9.5%

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

) and 8.7% follow

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

. 57.9% of the population is irreligious. 0.8% of the population follow other religions including Islam, Muism, and

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

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 (now Jeju United), due to the teams' close geographical relationship. The K4 League 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 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. 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 an ...

(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, beating out

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the NCT Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati B ...

. 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 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 Baengnyeong Island are also administered by Incheon. Baengnyeong Island is South Korea's westernmost point. * Bupyeong Station is where the

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, as well as a memorial to the centennial anniversary of U.S. and Korea relations is located there. * Chinatown is Korea's only official Chinatown, located across from Incheon Station near Jayu Park. * Incheon Bus Terminal 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 A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway built with wooden planks that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. They are also in effect a low type of bri ...

, 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 is a plaza and small museum dedicated to the Incheon Landing. Weapons and artifacts from the war and operation are displayed. * Incheon Dohobu Cheongsa 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 The Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. It is one of four seas named after common colour term ...

. 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 Chinatown. 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 Chinatown in

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

File:Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village.jpg, Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village in Incheon in

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 ...

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 NCT may stand for: Tests * National Car Test, Ireland, a roadworthiness test for cars * National Curriculum Tests, in the English education system Organizations and companies * Nashville Children's Theatre, the oldest professional children's thea ...

and its subunit NCT Dream * Miyeon,

(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, 2 ...

Hapkido Hapkido ( , , also spelled ''hap ki do'' or ''hapki-do''; from Korean language, Korean 합기도 ''hapgido'' ) is a Eclecticism#Martial arts, hybrid Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, throw (g ...

Grand Master Han Bong-soo * 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 promine ...

* Kim Hyo-yeon, Girls' Generation * Choi Min-ho,

Shinee Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and the ...

* Kang Ki-young * Michaela Dietz, voice actress * Kim Gu-ra * Kim Nam-il, footballer * Cho Yong-hyung, footballer * Shin Ji, Koyote *

Yoon Chae-kyung Yoon Chae-kyung (born July 7, 1996), is a South Korean singer and actress. Yoon began her career with debuted as a member of Puretty under DSP in Japan during 2012 and the group later disbanded in January 2014. Following the disbandment, Yoon ...

, April * Kang Hye-jung, actress * Kim Eun-jung, footballer * Go Kyung-pyo, 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 The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...

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) Central division. The Brewers are named for the city's association wi ...

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...

) * Bang Yong-guk, B.A.P * Ku Hye-sun, actress * Hyolyn, Sistar * Roh Ji-hoon, singer * Ryu Hyun-jin, baseball player ( Hanwha Eagles,

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brookly ...

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

) * Park Cho-a, 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 Loona (commonly stylized in all caps or as LOOΠΔ; ; ja, 今月の少女, Kongetsu no Shōjo, Girl of the Month) is a South Korean girl group formed by Blockberry Creative. The group was introduced to the public through a pre-debut project ...

). * Bang Min-ah, Girl's Day * Nam Ji-hyun * 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, singer, author * JinJoo Lee, DNCE * Ong Seong-wu, former member of Wanna One, actor and soloist * Yoo Seung-ho, actor * Lee Kang-in, footballer * Jung Seung-hwan, singer * Kim Sung-joo, singer, actor, UNIQ * Sung Dong-il, actor * Sohee, 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, 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, rapper and member of Victon

International relations

Incheon is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: *

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandr ...

, 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 ...

, 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 pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Cou ...

, China (2007) *

Haiphong Haiphong ( vi, Hải Phòng, ), or Hải Phòng, is a major industrial city and the third-largest in Vietnam. Hai Phong is also the center of technology, economy, culture, medicine, education, science and trade in the Red River delta. Haiphong w ...

, Vietnam (1997) *

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the islan ...

, United States (2003) *

Kitakyushu is a 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 Fukuoka. It is one of ...

, 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, w ...

, Japan (2010) *

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

, India (2007) *

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...

, Philippines (2008) * Mérida, Mexico (2007) *

Panama City Panama City ( es, Ciudad de Panamá, links=no; ), also known as Panama (or Panamá in Spanish), is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has an urban population of 880,691, with over 1.5 million in its metropolitan area. The city is locat ...

, Panama (2000) *

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, United States (1983) * Phnom Penh, Cambodia (2009) * Shenyang, China (2014) * Taoyuan, Taiwan (2009) *

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

, Israel (2000) *

Ulaanbaatar Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north c ...

, Mongolia (2017) *

Veneto it, Veneto (man) it, Veneta (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = ...

, Italy (2010) *

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea ...

, Russia (2012) *

Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg ( ; rus, Екатеринбург, p=jɪkətʲɪrʲɪnˈburk), alternatively romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( rus, Свердло́вск, , svʲɪrˈdlofsk, 1924–1991), is a city and the administrat ...

, 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