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Incheon 인천시 仁川市
Metropolitan city
Incheon Metropolitan City 인천광역시 仁川廣域市
Korean name transcription(s)
• Hangul	인천광역시
• Hanja	仁川廣域市
• Revised Romanization	Incheon Gwang-yeoksi
• McCune-Reischauer	Inch'ŏn Kwang'yŏkshi
Clockwise from top: Songdo International Business District, Michuhol District, Incheon Football Stadium, Incheon Bridge, Incheon Port, Incheon International Airport
Flag Emblem of Incheon
Anthem: Song of Incheon
Incheon Show map of South Korea Incheon Show map of Asia
Coordinates: 37°29′N 126°38′E / 37.483°N 126.633°E / 37.483; 126.633
Country	South Korea
Region	Seoul Capital
Subdivisions	List 8 districts ("gu") Jung-gu (중구; 中區) Michuhol-gu (미추홀구; 彌鄒忽區) Namdong-gu (남동구; 南洞區) Seo-gu (서구; 西區) Yeonsu-gu (연수구; 延壽區)   2 counties ("gun") Ganghwa-gun (강화군; 江華郡) Ongjin-gun (옹진군; 甕津郡)
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
• Mayor	Yoo Jeong-bok (People Power)
• Body	Incheon Metropolitan Council
Area
• Total	1,062.63 km2 (410.28 sq mi)
Population  (October, 2022)[1]
• Total	2,962,388
• Density	2,800/km2 (7,200/sq mi)
GDP
• Total	KR₩ 104 trillion US$ 83 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Korea Standard Time)
Area code	+82-31
Dialect	Gyeonggi
Flower	Rose
Tree	Tulip tree
Bird	Crane
Website	Official website (English)

Incheon (Korean: 인천; Hanja: 仁川; Korean pronunciation: [intɕʰʌ̹n]; 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.^[2]

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.^[3][4] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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^{[clarification needed]} as a major transportation hub in northeast Asia with the Incheon International Airport and Incheon Port.^{[citation needed]} The large volume of port traffic makes Incheon a Large-Port Metropolis using the Southampton System of Port-City classification.^[5]

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 turned to Incheon in 1413. ^{[citation needed]} 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 the northern part of Siheung City. The city center 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.

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.^[6][7] 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" (원인천). It was internationally known as Jinsen during Japanese rule, based on the Japanese pronunciation of Incheon's Sino-Korean 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.^[8] 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^[a] were ceded to Incheon and in 1995 Geomdan township of Gimpo County and two counties of Ganghwa and Onjin were annexed to Incheon Metropolitan City.^{[citation needed]}

Incheon was known as Inchon prior to South Korea's adoption of a new Romanization system in 2000.^[9]

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 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.^[10] USS Inchon was named after the tide-turning battle that ensued.

Prior to and during the June Democratic Movement in 1987, Incheon was the site of several pro-democracy protests.

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.^[11] 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 in 2004 which expanded into welcoming international artists in its subsequent 2007, 2009^[12] and 2011.

Incheon hosted the Asian Games in 2014.^[13] It hosted the 6th OECD World Forum in 2018.^[14]

Incheon was designated as the World Book Capital for the year 2015 by UNESCO.^[15]

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.^[16] 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."^{[citation needed]}

Higher education

Incheon is home to a number of colleges and universities:

• George Mason University Korea Campus
• Ghent University Global Campus
• Gyeongin National University of Education Incheon campus
• Inha University (formerly Inha Institute of Technology)
• Gachon University Medical·Ganghwa campus
• Gyeongin Women's College
• Inha Technical College
• Incheon Catholic University
• Incheon City College
• Incheon National University
• Jaineung College
• University of Utah Asia Campus
• SUNY South Korea
• Anyang University Ganghwa campus
• Yonsei University International campus
• Korea Polytechnics II
• Seongsan Hyo University
• Juan International University

Climate

Incheon has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa),^[17] and humid continental climate^[18] (Köppen Dwa, respectively). Like other metropolitan cities, incheon has a strong urban heat island effect.^[19] 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.^[20]

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.^[21]