Yoon: "Develop Incheon as an International City"... Investment in 'Logistics, Transportation, Redevelopment' Infrastructure (Comprehensive)

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
"Incheon-Seoul Commute Possible in 30 Minutes"
Preventing Depopulation Through Old Downtown Redevelopment

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, generating a production inducement effect worth 10 trillion won over the next decade. He presented a blueprint to develop the aviation and shipping 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. Furthermore, he explained plans to accelerate redevelopment of Incheon’s original downtown, undergrounding of railroads and highways, and the metropolitan wide-area express railroad (GTX) project to transform Incheon into a genuine gateway and global city.

On the morning of the same day, President Yoon chaired the 18th public discussion forum at Incheon City Hall under the theme "Incheon, the Gateway City of Korea, Expanding Globally," where he made these announcements.

First, he emphasized that the development of Incheon’s maritime and aviation logistics is directly linked to Korea’s economic growth, citing milestones such as the opening of the Gyeongin Expressway in 1968, the establishment of container facilities at Incheon Port in 1974, and the opening of Incheon International Airport in 2001. He stressed that Incheon must be reborn anew for Korea’s future economy. President Yoon said, "Because we opened sea and air routes to expand our economic territory, we were able to write a miraculous history. The city that has played the role of the frontline outpost on this path of leap forward is Incheon."

He then mentioned that Incheon International Airport has ranked first in global airport evaluations for 15 consecutive years, and that when traveling abroad from the Kansai region in Japan, people transit through Incheon Airport rather than the Kanto region. He stated, "I believe enhancing Incheon’s competitiveness, which has both a port and an airport, is the shortcut to achieving a greater leap. We must achieve a great innovation in our strategic industries, aviation and shipping, using Incheon as a foothold."

Yoon Expands Investment in Strategic Aviation and Shipping Industries Using Incheon as a Foothold

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He promised groundbreaking investments in Incheon International Airport and Incheon Port, the hubs of logistics and human movement in Northeast Asia. President Yoon said, "We will significantly grow our aviation industry centered on Incheon International Airport. The fourth phase expansion, which includes the addition of a second passenger terminal and runway, will be completed by October this year, making it the world’s third airport capable of handling 100 million international passengers, elevating it to a global mega hub airport. Based on this aviation infrastructure expansion, we will create an advanced complex aviation cluster behind the airport by 2026."

President Yoon also mentioned that the government designated the area near Incheon International Airport as a free trade zone in January this year to foster upstream and downstream industries such as aircraft modification and maintenance. He introduced, "Various benefits such as acquisition tax and property tax reductions, customs exemptions, and land lease fee reductions will be provided." Through this, his plan is to create more than 5,000 quality jobs and generate a production inducement effect worth 10 trillion won over the next 10 years.

He also explained plans to transform the Incheon International Airport area into a cultural tourism experience space where people want to stay, not just a place for logistics and transit. President Yoon said, "In December last year, the Incheon Airport complex resort, which includes a hotel, water park, and performance hall, opened. In connection with this, the central government will actively support the local government in creating a theme park. The plan will be established by early next year, and we will support accelerating the process."

Additionally, President Yoon stated, "We will ensure that the merger of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines produces good synergy, expand new routes, and reduce overlapping routes. In this process, we will make sure that airline travel mileage is not harmed even by a single mile, 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 fully automated smart ports and upgrade it to a world-class trading port. We will create a 'cold chain specialized zone' and an 'e-commerce specialized zone' on 900,000 pyeong of Incheon Port’s hinterland."

The smart port construction aims to create an eco-friendly port free from noise, pollution, and dust, attracting leading global shipping companies. Furthermore, as logistics functions move to the new port, the old Incheon inner port, having fulfilled its role as a trading port, will be redeveloped into a complex cultural space and transformed 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 on the hinterland of the Incheon International Passenger Terminal, developing it into a global beautiful port."

Redevelopment of Original Downtown and Swift GTX Progress... Yoon: "We Will Develop Incheon into a Global City"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He plans to swiftly promote the undergrounding of railroads and highways and the GTX construction, and redevelop the aging and depopulating original downtown to appropriately elevate Incheon’s status as a gateway city connecting the metropolitan area and overseas, as well as a global city.

President Yoon explained, "There are 13 million people combined in Seoul and Incheon. Although geographically close, only two rail lines connect the downtown areas of the two cities: the Gyeongin Line and the Incheon Airport Railroad." He added, "We will rapidly advance the GTX project that connects Incheon and Seoul within 30 minutes." The groundbreaking ceremony for GTX Line B was held that day, and the plan is to open it by 2030, ushering in a 30-minute commute era between Incheon and Seoul downtown.

Once Line B opens, travel time from Incheon City Hall to Yeouido will be 18 minutes and to Seoul Station 24 minutes. For Lines D and E, the government plans to establish a foundation for construction within the term by passing preliminary feasibility studies and will actively promote urban railroad extensions and metropolitan railroad expansion projects to improve transportation in new towns in Incheon such as Yeongjong, Cheongna, Geomdan, and Gyeyang.

President Yoon also 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 around two hours, and will smoothly proceed with the opening of the Wolgot-Pangyo KTX line to connect the West Sea Incheon to the East Sea Gangneung."

In addition to transportation networks connecting Incheon with other cities, he explained plans to make Incheon’s original downtown a livable space to prevent depopulation. First, to support redevelopment projects in the aging and depopulating original downtown, the government plans to support urban regeneration projects worth 2.4 trillion won across 25 districts by 2027.

To expedite reconstruction projects in aging planned cities, a basic policy will be established within the year, and the government will work with local governments to develop basic plans. President Yoon emphasized, "For aging planned cities over 20 years old, including Bupyeong in Incheon, if residents wish, we will support rapid reconstruction projects without safety inspections. We will establish the basic policy within the year and develop basic plans with local governments."

He also stressed the prompt promotion of undergrounding the Gyeongin Expressway and Gyeongin Line railroad. President Yoon said, "We will start construction of the Gyeongin Expressway undergrounding by 2027, and begin establishing the basic plan for the Gyeongin Line railroad undergrounding in 2026 to fully promote it." The space above the railroad and highway that disappear will be reborn as a three-dimensional vertical space combining residential, commercial, cultural, and environmental functions. He explained, "This is not simply about hardware to develop the old downtown because it is too deteriorated and aging, but about preserving history and identity, and culturally supporting the specialized industrial development necessary for the city’s economic prosperity."

In his closing remarks, President Yoon said, "We will closely cooperate with Incheon City to invest in infrastructure so that Incheon can truly grow into a world-class international city, and establish and support proper policies for industries developed around Incheon City. We will carefully manage not only reconstruction projects that allow Incheon citizens to live happily but also the expansion of metropolitan transportation networks and areas that can restore Incheon’s unique culture."

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