The Former Incheon Post Office Built in 1923 Transforms into the Postal Communication Museum... Opening in 2027

Incheon City is promoting a plan to establish the Postal Communication Museum in the old Incheon Post Office building, which marks its 101st year since construction.

The city announced on the 18th that it will utilize the old Incheon Post Office in Hangdong 6-ga, Jung-gu, as the Postal Communication Museum, considering its historical and symbolic significance, and will hold a residents' briefing session on the 23rd.

The old Incheon Post Office building consists of three structures: the main building, annex, and guardhouse. Among them, the main building, built in 1923 (designated as Incheon City Tangible Cultural Property No. 8 in 1982), was constructed in Renaissance style. The main building is shaped like a 'ㄷ' (U) and features a mixed structure with tiled walls and a reinforced concrete slab, with the main entrance made of stone, preserving its original form relatively well.

The first floor of the central courtyard, originally wooden, was damaged during the Korean War and was extended in 1954 with masonry walls and wooden structures. During major repairs in 2003, it was replaced again with a lightweight steel frame structure.

Old Incheon Post Office Building
Photo provided by Incheon City

The city plans to preserve the main building in its original state as of the time of construction, and to demolish the central courtyard of the main building, annex, and guardhouse to utilize the space as the Postal Communication Museum. After finalizing the plan by next month, the museum is scheduled to open in 2027 following investment review, public architecture review, and design processes.

Since its construction in 1923 until its relocation to the temporary Jeongseok Building (next to Inha University Hospital) in 2019, the old Incheon Post Office was used as a post office and holds significant historical meaning for the postal history of Korea and Incheon.

Korea’s modern postal system was introduced in 1884, but its practical implementation began when post offices were established nationwide. In 1884, alongside the Postal Bureau, the Incheon branch was established, and in 1895, the first post offices were set up in Hanseong and Incheon. In 1905, with the establishment of the Resident-General, it was incorporated into the Japanese postal system, and as postal operations increased, the Incheon Post Office was newly built in 1923 and used as a post office until recently.

An Incheon City official stated, "The old Incheon Post Office holds important significance in the history of Incheon during the opening of the port and the development of Korea’s postal and communication history. We expect that the opening of the Postal Communication Museum will create synergy with surrounding museums and contribute to revitalizing tourism in the original downtown area."