Yoon: "Incheon Airport Expansion to Complete by October This Year... Advanced Complex Aviation Hub to Be Established by 2026"

Presiding over the 18th Public Discussion in Incheon
"Towards a Global Mega Hub Airport"
Undergrounding Gyeongin Expressway and Gyeongin Line Railroad
GTX B Line to Open by 2030
"30-Minute Commute Between Incheon and Seoul"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 18th "Public Livelihood Discussion" held on the theme "Incheon, the Gateway City of Korea Expanding Globally" at Incheon Metropolitan City Hall on the 7th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol announced on the 7th, "The fourth phase expansion of Incheon Airport will be completed by October this year, aiming to elevate it to a global mega-hub airport." The plan includes creating an advanced complex aviation cluster behind Incheon Airport by 2026, expected to generate a production inducement effect worth 10 trillion won over the next decade. He presented a blueprint to develop the aviation and maritime industries, which are our strategic industries, using Incheon Airport, the hub of Northeast Asia, and Incheon Port, a key port on the west coast, as footholds.

On the same morning at Incheon City Hall, President Yoon presided over the 18th public discussion forum themed "Incheon, the Gateway City of Korea, Expanding Globally," stating, "We will actively support Incheon to leap forward as an advanced base for the aviation, maritime, and logistics industries."

President Yoon said, "We will significantly expand our aviation industry centered on Incheon International Airport," adding, "With the completion of the fourth phase expansion, which includes the second passenger terminal and runway extension by October this year, the airport will take a step forward as a global mega-hub airport. Based on this aviation infrastructure expansion, we will establish an advanced complex aviation cluster behind the airport by 2026." He explained that this will create more than 5,000 quality jobs and generate a production inducement effect worth 10 trillion won over the next ten years.

Yoon: "Korean Air and Asiana Merger to Avoid Mileage Loss"

President Yoon also stated, "We will ensure that the merger of Korean Air and Asiana creates good synergy, expand new routes, and reduce overlapping routes," adding, "During this process, we will make sure that airline travel mileage does not suffer even a single mile of loss, and the government will thoroughly manage to prevent service quality, including fares, from declining due to monopoly."

Investment in port infrastructure at Incheon Port will also be significantly expanded. President Yoon emphasized, "By 2027, we will develop Incheon Port's 1-2 piers into a fully automated smart port, upgrading it to a world-class trading port," and "We will create a 'cold chain specialized zone' and an 'e-commerce specialized zone' on 900,000 pyeong of hinterland at Incheon Port."

As the logistics functions move to the new port, the Incheon Inner Port, which has fulfilled its role as a trading port, will be redeveloped into a complex cultural space, transforming into a new marine cultural tourism attraction. President Yoon said, "We will launch the 'Incheon Golden Harbor' project in the first half of the year to attract cultural and commercial facilities such as resorts, hotels, and shopping malls to the hinterland of Incheon International Passenger Terminal, turning it into a global beautiful port."

To support redevelopment projects in the aging and declining old downtown area, a 2.4 trillion won urban regeneration project will be supported by 2027. To expedite the reconstruction of the aging planned city, a basic policy will be established within the year, and basic plans will be developed in cooperation with local governments.

GTX Line B Groundbreaking Ceremony... Lines D and E to Pass Preliminary Feasibility Study Within Term

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 18th "Public Livelihood Discussion with the People" held on the 7th at Incheon Metropolitan City Hall under the theme "Incheon, the Gateway City of Korea Expanding Globally." [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon emphasized, "We will promptly promote the underground construction of the Gyeongin Expressway and the Gyeongin Line railway, which have long been a wish of Incheon," adding, "The underground construction of the Gyeongin Expressway will begin by 2027, and the basic plan for the underground construction of the Gyeongin Line railway will be initiated in 2026 for full-scale promotion." The space above the railway and expressway, once removed, will be supported to be reborn as a three-dimensional vertical space combining residential, commercial, cultural, and environmental functions.

President Yoon announced that the metropolitan area express railway (GTX) Line B, for which a groundbreaking ceremony is held on the day, will open by 2030, ushering in a 30-minute commute era between Incheon and downtown Seoul. Regarding Lines D and E, he plans to create a foundation for construction within his term by passing the preliminary feasibility study and will actively promote urban railway extensions and metropolitan railway expansion projects to improve wide-area transportation in new towns in Incheon such as Yeongjong, Cheongna, Geomdan, and Gyeyang.

President Yoon added, "Within my term, we will connect the Suin Line and the Gyeongbu High-Speed Railway to reduce travel time between Incheon and Busan/Mokpo to within two hours, and we will also proceed smoothly with the opening of the Wolgot-Pangyo KTX line, establishing a high-speed rail network connecting Incheon to the entire country."

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