This
article is about the city. For the airport, see Incheon International Airport. For other
uses, see Incheon (disambiguation).
The Incheon Metropolitan
City (Korean: 인천, 仁川 Korean pronunciation: [intɕʰʌn]) literally 'wise river', formerly romanized
as Inchon, is located in northwestern South Korea.
The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port
was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it
Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan
City. While people have inhabited the area from the New Stone Age, the city’s
growth was 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 at Seoul. It is part of the Seoul National Capital Area, along with
Seoul itself andGyeonggi Province; as such, Incheon is the
world's fourth-largest suburb by population (after New Taipei, Yokohama,
and Ekurhuleni). A suburb here
is defined as: not a central city from a business or infrastructure sense
Incheon has since led the economic
development of Korea by opening its port to the outside world, issuing in the
modernization of Korea as a center of industrialization. In 2003, the city was
designated as Korea’s first free economic zone. Since then, large local
companies and global enterprises have increasingly invested in Incheon Free Economic Zone,
including Samsung which
chose SongdoInternational
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 will also be held in Incheon from September 19, 2014. Incheon has
established itself as a major transportation hub in northeast Asia with the
world renowned Incheon International Airport and
Incheon Port. The city is also home to the Green Climate Fund, an international
organization addressing environmental issues.
History
The
first historical record of the Incheon area dates back to 475 CE. during the
reign of King Jangsu of Goguryeo by the name of "Michuhol,"
which is supposed to be located on today's Munhak Hill (문학산).
The area underwent several name changes with successive kingdoms and dynasties.
In Goryeo era, Incheon was called Gyeongwon (경원)
or Inju (인주).
The current name was established in 1413. Later, Incheon County became Incheon
Metropolitan Prefecture (dohobu, 도호부). Old Incheon consisted of today's
southern Incheon (i.e. Jung-gu, Dong-gu, Nam-gu, Yeonsu-gu, and Namdong-gu) and
northern part of Siheung City. The city centre was
Gwangyo-dong, where the prefecture office (도호부청사)
and the local academy (hyanggyo, 향교) 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.
However, the name Jemulpo was not widely used until the opening of
the port in 1883.After the opening of the Incheon port,
the city centre moved from Gwangyo to Jemulpo. Today, either Jemulpo or
Gwangyo-dong is considered "Deep Incheon"(원인천).
In 1914, the Japanese colonial government merged outer parts of
old Incheon (including the former centre of Gwangyo) with Bupyeong County,
formingBucheon County.
Through 1936 and 1940, some part of Bucheon County was recombined into Incheon
City, by which some part of "old" Bupyeong was annexed into Incheon.
On September 15, 1950, during the Korean War, Incheon was the site of the Battle of Inchon, when 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.[4]The USS Inchon was named after the tide-turning
battle that ensued.
Incheon was originally part of Gyeonggi Province, but was granted Directly Governed (now Metropolitan) City status on July
1, 1981; the city officially separated from the province. In 1989, neighbouring
islands and Gyeyang township of Gimpo County[5] were ceded to Incheon and in 1995
Geomdan township of Gimpo Country was incorporated in Incheon Metropolitan
City.
Incheon was known as Inchon prior to South Korea's adoption of a new Romanization
system in 2000.
Major events
Incheon was
the site of the Battle of Chemulpo Bay, where the first shots
of the Russo-Japanese War were fired.
Incheon was the site of the Battle of Inchon during
the Korean War.
Incheon hosted a series of major international
events. The Global Fair & Festival 2009
Incheon, Korea was held in the Songdo District in August 2009.
It was open from August 7 to October 25 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.
Incheon will also be the site of the third Global
Model United Nations Conference, held from 10th to the 14th of August 2011.
Incheon has also won the bid to host the Asian Games in
2014.
Education
On
February 27, 2007, Incheon declared itself an "English City," and
inaugurated the "Incheon Free English Zone" program. The goal of the
program is to make Incheon as much an English speaking city as Hong Kong and Singapore are. 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 several colleges and
universities:
·
Gyeongin
National University of Education Incheon campus
·
Gachon University Medical·Ganghwa campus
·
Anyang University Ganghwa campus
·
Yonsei University International campus
Climate
Incheon has a humid continental
climate (Köppen climate
classification Dwa). 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.[8]
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.
[hide]Climate data for Incheon (1981–2010)
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|||||||||||||
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Average high °C (°F)
|
1.7
(35.1) |
4.4
(39.9) |
9.6
(49.3) |
16.1
(61) |
21.3
(70.3) |
25.4
(77.7) |
27.6
(81.7) |
29.0
(84.2) |
25.5
(77.9) |
19.7
(67.5) |
11.8
(53.2) |
4.7
(40.5) |
16.4
(61.5) |
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
−2.1
(28.2) |
0.3
(32.5) |
5.1
(41.2) |
11.3
(52.3) |
16.4
(61.5) |
20.9
(69.6) |
24.0
(75.2) |
25.2
(77.4) |
21.1
(70) |
15.0
(59) |
7.6
(45.7) |
0.9
(33.6) |
12.1
(53.8) |
Average low °C (°F)
|
−5.4
(22.3) |
−3.1
(26.4) |
1.7
(35.1) |
7.6
(45.7) |
12.8
(55) |
17.6
(63.7) |
21.5
(70.7) |
22.4
(72.3) |
17.5
(63.5) |
11.0
(51.8) |
3.9
(39) |
−2.6
(27.3) |
8.7
(47.7) |
Precipitation mm (inches)
|
20.6
(0.811) |
20.8
(0.819) |
40.5
(1.594) |
57.7
(2.272) |
100.3
(3.949) |
112.0
(4.409) |
319.6
(12.583) |
285.8
(11.252) |
153.5
(6.043) |
53.4
(2.102) |
51.0
(2.008) |
19.3
(0.76) |
1,234.4
(48.598) |
Avg. precipitation
days (≥ 0.1 mm)
|
6.6
|
5.3
|
6.7
|
7.3
|
8.7
|
9.7
|
14.9
|
12.5
|
8.2
|
6.2
|
8.5
|
7.3
|
101.9
|
% humidity
|
61.5
|
61.8
|
63.4
|
64.1
|
70.3
|
74.8
|
82.2
|
79.1
|
73.1
|
67.3
|
63.9
|
62.0
|
68.6
|
Mean monthly sunshine hours
|
178.0
|
181.5
|
204.9
|
219.4
|
231.4
|
203.4
|
156.8
|
191.0
|
197.6
|
211.2
|
168.6
|
171.0
|
2,314.9
|
Source: Korea Meteorological Administration
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Transportation
Incheon is a major domestic and international
transportation hub for Korea.
Air
Incheon International Airport, a regional air hub, is
South Korea's primary international airport.
There were a total of 160,843 flights (157,134
international, 3,709 domestic) to and from Incheon International Airport in
2005, an average of 441 flights (431 international, 10 domestic) daily. 59.7%
of the flights were serviced by Korea’s two national carriers, Korean
Air and Asiana Airlines,
with foreign carriers servicing the remaining 40.3%, which breaks down as
follows: China 45,125 flights {28.1% of total}, Japan ,352 {20.1%}, Southeast
Asia 30,567 {19%}, Americas 27,916 {17.4%}, Europe 11,082 {6.9%}, Domestic
3,709 {2.3%}, Oceania 2,811 {1.7%}, others 7,281 {4.5%}.
Also featured in the Korean drama series,
"Air City."
Sea
Incheon's sea port is the second largest port in
Korea after Busan's sea port.
The International Passenger Terminal located at
the port offers ferries to four cities in China: Dalian, Qingdao, Tianjin,
and Weihai.
There are also ferries to Incheon's outlying islands as well as Baengnyeong
Island inside of the Northern
Limit Line.
Buses
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, Seoul,
and Siheung.
Many BRT lines offer transportation between Seoul and Incheon.
Train
Local service to Guro, Seoul, Cheongnyangni, Uijeongbu and Soyosan is offered by Seoul's subway Line 1. The line
has 11 stations within Incheon and connects to the Incheon Subway at Bupyeong
station.
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 viaGimpo 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.
Subway
Main article: Incheon Subway
The Incheon Subway has a single subway line
serving the city. It connects to the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system at Bupyeong station, and AREX line at
Gyeyang station. The line has 28 stations on 29.4 kilometres (18.3 miles)
of track. The Incheon subway is operated by the Incheon Rapid Transit
Corporation (IRTC).
Planned extensions and additions: IRTC has a plan to construct a
second line, Line 2. It will extend from Oryu, Seo-gu to Incheon
Grand Park, and will have 27 stations on 29.2 km (18.1 miles) of track. Line 2 is under construction from June 26, 2009 to 2014.
Korail is constructing a new subway line from Incheon
station to Suwon station by 2013. It will have 10 stations within Incheon.
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.
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 51,739 acres (20,938 ha). 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 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: 13,162
acres (53.26 km2)
·
Planned population:
252,000 persons
·
Construction duration:
1994~2020
Yeongjong Island
As of 2012, Yeongjong International City’s
34,183 acres (13,833 ha) 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: 4,394
acres (1,778 ha)
·
Planned population:
90,000 persons
·
Duration: 2004~2008
Administrative divisions
Main article: List of districts and counties of Incheon
Administrative divisions of Incheon
Incheon is divided into 8 districts (gu)
and 2 counties (gun).
·
Bupyeong District (부평구; 富平區)
·
Dong District (동구; 東區)
·
Gyeyang District (계양구; 桂陽區)
·
Jung District (중구; 中區)
·
Nam District (남구; 南區)
·
Namdong District (남동구; 南洞區)
·
Seo District (서구; 西區)
·
Yeonsu District (연수구; 延壽區)
·
Ganghwa County (강화군; 江華郡)
·
Ongjin County (옹진군; 甕津郡)
·
The northwestern islands
of Baengnyeong
Island, Yeonpyeong Island, Daecheong Island,
and the much smaller Socheong Island are part of Ongjin County.
Sports
Incheon is home to the following professional
and semi professional sports teams:
Football (Soccer) The K-League 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 Incheon team was known to have a popular rivalry against former Bucheon SK(now Jeju United), due to the teams' close geographical relationship.
The National League team Incheon Korail.
The WK-League team Hyundai Steel Red Angels.
Baseball The KBO team SK
Wyverns BC.
The first Incheon-based pro-baseball team was Sami(one of major steel companies in 1980s) Superstars.
The first Incheon-based pro-baseball team was Sami(one of major steel companies in 1980s) Superstars.
Basketball The KBL team Incheon ET Land Elephants.
Volleyball The V-League teams Incheon Korean Air Jumbos and Incheon Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders.
Munhak Sports Complex The Munahk Sports Complex houses both a football stadium and a baseball stadium. The football stadium was Incheon's
venue for the 2002 Football World Cup, and is also the home venue
for Incheon United. The baseball stadium is the home venue for the SK Wyverns.
On April 19, 2007, Incheon was selected as the host city for the 2014 Asian Games,
beating out New Delhi.
Points of interest
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.
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.
Jayu (Freedom) Park- The statue of General, Douglas MacArthur,
as well as a memorial to the centennial anniversary of U.S. and Korea relations
is located within.
Chinatown is Korea's only official Chinatown, located
across from Incheon Station near Jayu Park.
Incheon Bus Terminal refers to a performance venue but also to a
subway station and area. Within this district in Guwol-dong is Rodeo Street, a
busy central square packed with restaurants and department stores.
Wolmido- Location of Green Beach, one of the landing sites for
MacArthur's invasion force. It is now a local tourist attraction with aboardwalk, an amusement park and many raw
fish restaurants. Ferries run
from Wolmido to Yeongjongdo and Jakyakdo.
Jakyakdo- 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- A plaza and small museum dedicated to the
Landing. Weapons and artifacts from the war and operation are displayed.
Incheon Dohobu Cheongsa- Located nearby Munhak Stadium, this is the old
government complex for Incheon. It has existed since at least the reign of King
Sejong, about 1424 A.D.
Incheon's government has many plans for restoring Incheon's old
town.
People from Incheon
·
Hapkido Grand Master Bong
Soo Han
·
Choi Minho, Shinee
·
Kim Nam-Il,
footballer
·
Cho Yong-Hyung,
football defender
·
Yoon Shi-yoon, actor
·
Kang Hye-jung,
actress
·
Kim Eun-Jung, footballer
·
Lee Sung-Hyun,
kickboxer
·
Ku Hye-sun, actress
·
Roh Ji-hoon, singer
under Cube
Entertainment
·
Ryu Hyun-jin, Major League Baseball pitcher for the Los
Angeles Dodgers
Twin towns – Sister cities
Incheon is twinned with:
·
Burbank, United
States (1961)
·
Philadelphia, United States (1983)
·
Anchorage, United States (1986)
·
Kitakyushu, Japan (1988)
·
Panama City, Panama (2000)[14]
|
·
Alexandria, Egypt (2000)
·
Honululu, United States (2003)
·
Manila, Philippines (2008)
|
·
Phnom Penh, Cambodia (2009)
·
Yekaterinburg, Russia (2009)
·
Banten
Province, Indonesia (2009)
·
Belo Horizonte, Brazil (2011)
·
Vladivostok, Russia (2012)
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