(인천, 仁川), also Inchon, is in South Korea on the coast directly to the west of Seoul.
Understand
A politically independent city of 2.5 million, Incheon is in practice largely a suburb of Seoul. In 1950, the city was the site of the Inchon Landing by American forces, a decisive battle in the Korean War.
Incheon serves as a transportation hub by both air and sea, with a massive harbor and Korea's main international airport. Several nearby islands, notably Yeongjong Island and Ganghwa Island, are also within city limits.
Newer neighborhoods, built on land reclaimed from the sea, are practically independent mini-cities with shopping, schools, housing, and industry. These newer areas pride themselves on being clean, modern, and safe, and compete for foreign investment.
Incheon tower, set to be competed after 2010, will be one of the tallest buildings int the world.
Get in
By plane
Incheon International Airport, South Korea's main international gateway, is on Yeongjong Island, a part of Incheon. The airport and its connectivity are covered in detail in the Seoul article.
By boat
There are ships to Incheon from the Chinese ports of Weihai, Dalian, Qingdao and Tianjin. Locally, there are ferries from Yeongjong Island to Wolmido Marina every 30 minutes. There is also a ferry to Jeju island.
By subway
Seoul subway line 1 links Seoul to Incheon. It has express trains that skip all the minor stops between Incheon and Yongsan. There is also an Incheon line which crosses line one at Bupyeong.
Get around
In addition to the Seoul subway line, the Incheon Rapid Transit Corporation operates a single subway line of its own. The Incheon line runs north-south, and the Seoul line east-west.
Wolmido is not on the subway network, but there are buses from Dongincheon Station every 10 minutes.
See
Incheon's official city flower, the rose, is abundant in the summer, climbing over walls and fences. Even the subway route into Seoul from Incheon is lined with roses and beautifully-tended shrubbery.
Do
Buy
Bupyeong Station Line 1 of Seoul subway and Incheon subway line intersect here. There is a large under ground shopping mall. It is a popular place for Korean students to shop and hang out. Above ground, there are additional shops, many Korean restaurants, western restaurants such as McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Outback Steakhouse, Starbucks, Baskin Robbins, and Dunkin Donuts, and a Lotte Mart.
Incheon Bus Terminal Station Incheon's subway line has a the stop for Incheon bus Terminal. This station connects to Shinsaegae, a large name brand mall. In the food court of this mall are many small places and A burger king. The upper two floors are women's clothes, and there is an E-mart attached to the mall.
Eat
Incheon has a Chinatown with many Chinese restaurants. Chinatown is to be found at the last stop on line 1 of the Seoul line.
There are many raw fish restaurants around the port area at Wolmido.
Drink
Incheon has plenty of watering holes, mostly in Bupyeong.
Sleep
Get out
:For the film, see Inchon (film).
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.
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 Incheon, 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 Municipality status on July 1, 1981.
See also: Battle of Chemulpo Bay
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:
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.
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.
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
Incheon is divided into 8 wards ("gu") and 2 counties ("gun").
Points of interest
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.
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
Sister cities
See also
External links
