Incheon

Incheon, port city, Gyeonggi do (province), northwestern South Korea. It lies near the mouth of the Han River, 25 miles (40 km) west-southwest of Seoul, with which it is connected by highway and railroad. It serves as the capital’s chief seaport and is the site of South Korea’s main international airport. Incheon has the status of a metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government, with administrative status equal to that of a province. The city center lies only about 20 miles (32 km) south of the demilitarized zone between South and North Korea. Area 398 square miles (1,032 square km). Pop. (2020) 2,945,454.

A fishing port since the Joseon (Yi) dynasty (1392–1910), Incheon became one of three Korean treaty ports in 1883 and developed as an international commercial port before the Japanese occupation (1910–45). During the occupation the city was renamed Jinsen; industries and port facilities were further developed, and tidal basins were constructed to overcome the 33-foot (10-meter) difference between low and high tides. During the Korean War (1950–53), a successful United Nations troop landing at Incheon in mid-September 1950 debilitated the North Korean invasion, and, to commemorate the landing, a huge statue of U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur was erected in Jayu Park, overlooking the port.

Incheon has traditionally been an industrial city. After the Korean War a plate-glass factory, an iron and steel plant, an oil refinery, and a new dock were built. The city’s other industries include chemicals, lumber, salt manufacturing, and high-technology industries. In 2003, to encourage international business and investment, the government established the Incheon Free Economic Zone, composed of several areas around the city. One element of the zone was the construction, on reclaimed land, of the high-technology city of Songdo, in which all residential, business, and governmental information systems are linked via a common data-sharing system.

Incheon is a domestic and international transportation hub. Incheon International Airport, which opened in 2001, replaced Seoul’s Gimpo Airport as the country’s main point of entry by air. The city has a subway system, and a number of expressways and railways connect Incheon to its surrounding region and to Seoul and other South Korean cities. International car ferries travel between Incheon and ports in China.

Several universities are located in Incheon, including Inha University (founded 1954), the University of Incheon (1979), and Gyeongin National University of Education (1946). Major tourist attractions, such as Songdo Resort, Sorae Inlet, and Ganghwa Island, lie along the coast. Sorae Inlet is well known for its seafood cuisine, especially sliced raw fish. Ganghwa Island, north of the city, has many points of cultural and historical interest. Incheon’s traditional local products include ginseng and hwamunseok (handwoven flower-patterned baskets and mats made of sedge). The city is home to professional football (soccer) and baseball teams. Munhak Stadium was the venue for some of the 2002 football World Cup championship matches, and the smaller Sungui Arena Park, built especially for football (2011), hosts professional matches.