Incheon Mayor Park Namchun: "Focusing on Resource Circulation, We Will Create a Special Environmental City"

Park Nam-chun, Mayor of Incheon

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Park Namchun, Mayor of Incheon, emphasized, "In the new year, we will focus on promoting eco-friendly resource circulation policies to create 'Eco-friendly Special City Incheon.'"

In his New Year's address, Mayor Park stated, "Resource circulation is no longer just Incheon's issue; it is a critical problem that all citizens of our country will face," and

"Although I know it is not easy, I have started this work, and if someone has to take responsibility, I will do so now."

He continued, "After declaring Incheon's waste self-reliance and independence, there have been many concerns and complaints, but I will sincerely persuade everyone," adding, "My earnest New Year's wish is to present our children and future generations with an 'Eco-friendly Special City' Incheon."

Incheon City is accelerating its 'eco-friendly resource circulation' policy to reduce waste generation and drastically cut landfill waste by installing incineration facilities (Metropolitan Resource Circulation Centers) and creating eco-friendly self-landfill facilities that landfill only minimal incineration residue.

The city plans to build four new Metropolitan Resource Circulation Centers by region and modernize two of the three existing large-scale incinerators in Songdo and Cheongna by downsizing them.

Candidate sites for the new centers, to be used jointly by two to three districts, have been decided as Shinhung-dong in Jung-gu, Gojan-dong in Namdong-gu, and Yongjeong-ri in Ganghwa-gun. Only the center to be used jointly by Bupyeong and Gyeyang-gu has not yet had a candidate site selected.

Additionally, the city is preparing for the end of the use of the current Seoul Metropolitan Landfill in Seo-gu, Incheon, in 2025, and in line with the Ministry of Environment's ban on direct landfill of metropolitan area household waste starting in 2026, Incheon is accelerating the creation of its own waste landfill site.

The tentatively named 'Incheon Eco Land' will landfill only incineration residue reduced through metropolitan incinerators and non-combustible waste generated in Incheon.

The Eco Land candidate site has been decided as Oeri in Yeongheung-myeon, Ongjin-gun. The city plans to invest 140 billion KRW to construct a 148,500㎡ Eco Land on privately owned land, aiming for completion in 2024.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.