Ecometacity Development Begins... Incheon's Core Shifts from Songdo and Cheongna to Geomdan

- Geomdan District to Split Off in July 2026, Creation of a "Megacity" 4.5 Times the Size of Gyeyang New Town with 100,000 Households
- Eco-friendly Integrated Cultural City for 100,000 Households to Be Built, Geomdan Emerges as the Future Core of the Seoul Metropolitan Area

The development of "Ecometacity," a project set to transform the future core of Incheon, has officially begun in earnest. On May 19, Incheon City completed the "Ecometacity Urban Development Project Feasibility and Master Plan Establishment Service" and formalized the full-scale launch of the project.

This project is a key pillar of Incheon’s balanced development strategy, aiming to create an eco-friendly, integrated cultural city where people, nature, and culture coexist. Industry experts believe that this project will mark a turning point in fundamentally restructuring Incheon’s urban landscape.

Ecometacity, Royalparkcity, Geomdansindosi, Incheon’s Largest Future City with 100,000 Households Bird’s-Eye View

According to Incheon City, "Ecometacity" will encompass both the eastern and western residential zones centered around Jungbong-daero, covering a total area of 1.96 million square meters (approximately 590,000 pyeong). Among these, the eastern residential area, Handul District 3, will be prioritized for development through private investment, with the approval process already underway. As Handul District 3 is now included in the master plan, the pace of its development is expected to accelerate further.

The confirmation of this master plan is expected to become a turning point, shifting Incheon’s future core from the existing Songdo and Cheongna areas to Geomdan. This comes as Geomdan District is set to be split off in July 2026, in conjunction with Incheon’s first new town, Geomdansindosi, and the privately-led Royalparkcity.

Ecometacity Urban Development Project Master Plan, Development Starting from the East Residential Living Area (Phase 1)

Going forward, Geomdan District will see the creation of a megacity totaling 15 million square meters (4.54 million pyeong), combining the master-planned Ecometacity (1.96 million square meters, 590,000 pyeong), the privately-led Royalparkcity (2 million square meters, 600,000 pyeong), and Geomdansindosi (11.1 million square meters, 3.36 million pyeong), which is Incheon’s first and only new town. This is 4.5 times the size of Gyeyang New Town (3.33 million square meters, 1 million pyeong) and will accommodate 100,000 households, making it a large-scale development that will drive a major transformation of Incheon’s urban structure.

In particular, "Royalparkcity," South Korea’s first privately-led city being developed by DK Asia, is already making smooth progress with Phase 1 (Handul, 4,805 units) and Phase 2 (Geomdan 3, 1,500 units). With the completion of the Ecometacity master plan, the development of Handul District 3 will also move into full swing, putting DK Asia’s "Resort Special City" vision firmly on track. This is expected to lead to the largest private new town-scale development encompassing the entire Geomdan area.

The "Resort Special City" concept promoted by DK Asia adds new values of "resort city" and "sustainability" to the traditional new town model focused on residential, commercial, cultural, and transportation hubs. To achieve this, DK Asia proposes a new urban resort lifestyle that combines nature, culture, and leisure, based on eco-friendly design and premium leisure infrastructure such as large-scale parks, yacht services, and multi-level indoor golf ranges.

This large-scale development is expected to generate synergy with the expansion of the metropolitan transportation network and administrative system reorganization. On the transportation front, active discussions are underway regarding the Incheon Circular Line 3 (Songdo?Geomdan), which will connect Incheon from north to south, as well as direct connection to Seoul Subway Line 9 and the extension of Line 7. The Jungbong Tunnel project (scheduled to begin construction in 2027 and be completed in 2032) is currently in the strategic environmental impact assessment phase, and is expected to improve accessibility to nearby areas such as Cheongna International City in the future.

In addition, the largest aquarium and theme park in the Seoul metropolitan area, currently being developed by Hanwha Hotels & Resorts (scheduled for completion in 2027), is expected to further enhance the appeal of the region. Administratively, the planned split of Geomdan District in July 2026 is a major positive factor. Geomdan has recently gained popularity among people in their 30s and 40s, and after the split, tailored administrative services and efficient urban management are anticipated. Incheon City is currently systematically preparing for the split by adjusting boundaries, securing government offices, and expanding living SOC (social overhead capital).

Hwang Hyojin, Incheon’s Deputy Mayor for Global City Affairs, emphasized, "The Ecometacity urban development project will be successfully completed based on close cooperation between Incheon City, Seo District, and related departments," adding, "Major development projects such as Handul District, Geomdan District 3, Wangil District 1, and Geomdan District 5, as well as the surrounding areas, will become a nature-friendly, residential and cultural complex city with dramatically improved living environments."