'Incheon' is a
metropolitan city and a major seaport on the west coast of
South Korea, near
Seoul. Its geographical location is .
Human settlement at the location goes back to the
Neolithic. In modern times Incheon became important because its location on an
estuary made it a good harbor; when the port was founded in 1883, the city, then called 'Chemulpo' (
hangul: 제물포,
hanja: 濟物浦,
revised: ''Jemulpo''), had a population of only 4,700. Incheon is now home to almost 2.5 million people, and is also under the control of one of the two free economic zone authorities in Korea, aimed at attracting foreign investment; the city aims to turn itself into a financial and corporate hub along with the
Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority.
The city boundaries include an area of 964.53 km², of which 21 percent is rice paddies and another 44 percent is forested.
Incheon is regarded as part of the greater
Seoul metropolitan area due to its close proximity to the capital, and the fact that the
Seoul Metropolitan Subway and the
Incheon Subway systems are linked. Incheon is, however, a major city in its own right and is a separate jurisdiction from Seoul.
History
The first historical record of the Incheon area dates back to 475 A.D. during the reign of King Jangsu of
Goguryeo by the name of Michuhol. The area underwent several name changes with successive kingdoms and dynasties. The current name was established in 1413 A.D. during the reign of King Taejong of
Joseon. The name Jemulpo was not widely used until the opening of the port in 1883.
[1] [2]
The city was the site of a
Japanese POW camp during
World War II.
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
USS ''Inchon'' (MCS-12) was named after the tide-turning battle that ensued.
Incheon was originally part of
Gyeonggi Province, but was granted Metropolitan City status on July 1, 1981.
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:
★
Gachon Medical School
★
Gachongil College
★ Gyeongin National University of Education
[3]
★ Gyeongin Women's College
[4]
★ Inha Technical College
[5]
★
Inha University
★ Incheon Catholic University
★ Incheon City College
[6]
★ University of Incheon
[7]
Sports
The city is home to
K-League soccer team
Incheon United, the
KBL basketball team Inchon ET Land Blackslamers, and
KBO baseball team SK Wyverns. Incheon was also one of the venues for the
2002 Football World Cup.
On
April 19,
2007, Incheon was selected as the host city for the
2014 Asian Games, beating out
New Delhi.
[2]
Munhak Sports Complex is the location of the baseball stadium and soccer stadium of their respective pro teams.
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.
Sea
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
Jeju Island.
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
Train
Train service to
Seoul Station is offered by Seoul's subway Line 1. Rapid trains to
Yongsan Station in Seoul depart from Dong Incheon station, but stop at only the major stations.
Subway
The Incheon Subway is a single subway line serving the
South Korean city of
Incheon. It connects to the
Seoul Metropolitan Subway system at Bupyeong station.
The line has 22 stations on 24.6
km of track. The Incheon subway is operated by the
Incheon Rapid Transit Corporation. Two more lines are planned.
Tests are currently run on Line 1.
Free Economic Zone
Incheon is home to the Incheon Free Economic Zone. Based on
Professor Jack Kasarda's concept of the
aerotropolis, a city built around a major airport, the zone, now under construction, aspires to play a central role in Northeast Asian trade.
Administrative divisions
Administrative divisions of Incheon.
Incheon is divided into 8 wards ("gu") and 2 counties ("gun").
★
Bupyeong-gu (부평구; 富平區)
★
Dong-gu (동구; 東區)
★
Gyeyang-gu (계양구; 桂陽區)
★
Jung-gu (중구; 中區)
★
Nam-gu (남구; 南區)
★
Namdong-gu (남동구; 南洞區)
★
Seo-gu (서구; 西區)
★
Yeonsu-gu (연수구; 延壽區)
★
Ganghwa-gun (강화군; 江華郡)
★
Ongjin-gun (옹진군; 甕津郡)
Points of interest
Monument to 100 years of friendship between Korea and the USA in Jayu Park.
''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 MacArthur as well as a memorial to the centennial anniversary of U.S. and Korea relations is located within.
Korea's only official
Chinatown is located in Incheon, nearby Jayu Park.
[8]
Wolmido- Location of Green Beach, one of the landing sites for MacArthur's invasion force. It is now a local tourist attraction with a
boardwalk, an
amusement park and many
raw fish restaurants.
Incheon Landing Operation Memorial Hall- A plaza and small museum dedicated to the Landing. Weapons and artifacts from the war and operation are displayed.
People from Incheon
★
Myung Jae Nam
Sister cities
★ -
Dalian,
China
★ -
Tianjin,
China
★ -
Tel Aviv,
Israel
★ -
Kitakyushu,
Japan
★ -
Anchorage, Alaska,
United States
★ -
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
United States
★ -
Burbank, California,
United States
★ -
Honolulu, Hawaii,
United States
See also
★
List of Korea-related topics
★
List of cities in South Korea
★
Battle of Chemulpo Bay
★
Battle of Incheon
★
Inchon (film)
★
Incheon Chinatown
References
1. http://kosis.nso.go.kr/cgi-bin/sws_888.cgi?ID=DT_1IN0001&IDTYPE=3&A_LANG=2&FPUB=4&SELITEM=0
2. https://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/04/18/200704180036.asp
External links
★
Incheon Metropolitan City government website
★
Incheon Free Economic Zone(IFEZ) Official Homepage
★
★
★
★
Amateur Incheon Guide
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