[New Year's Address] Yoo Jung-bok: "Incheon Is South Korea's Answer... Expanding Tangible Welfare for Citizens"

On January 1, Yoo Jung-bok, Mayor of Incheon, stated, "Until the day when Incheon proves itself as the hope and answer for South Korea-a city where companies flock, where young people from Seoul come to pursue their dreams, and where having and raising children becomes a blessing-I will keep running without stopping."

In his New Year's address, Mayor Yoo emphasized, "Incheon has risen as South Korea's second-largest economic city, achieving the highest average economic growth rate over the past three years. It has also recorded the highest number of newborns and population growth rate, making it the only major city in the country with a steadily increasing population. With the determination of 'Mabujeongje (a running horse never stops its hooves),' this year, all public officials and I will devote ourselves solely to Incheon's future."

Yoo Jeong-bok, Mayor of Incheon. Photo by Incheon City

Mayor Yoo has set the expansion of welfare policies that citizens can truly feel as the top priority for city administration.

The city will expand the "1,000 Won Housing" program-which provides newlywed couples with rental housing at a daily rate of 1,000 won (30,000 won per month)-from 1,000 households last year to 2,000 households this year. In addition, for newlyweds without homes and other vulnerable groups, Incheon will launch the "1,000 Won Brokerage Fee" program to subsidize rental transaction fees, as well as introduce the "1,000 Won Culture Ticket" and "1,000 Won Laundry" programs for the first time this year. Furthermore, a new "1,000 Won Happiness Fund" will be established to ensure the stable and continuous implementation of these citizen-oriented policies.

In addition, the city will newly introduce free city bus rides for seniors aged 75 and older, and will establish the nation's first "Loneliness Care Bureau," a department dedicated to policies addressing isolation, seclusion, and solitary deaths. Alongside this, Incheon plans to increase its own type of livelihood support benefits, launch the "Hope Guardians in Every Neighborhood" initiative, and strengthen the system for identifying households in crisis that may fall through the welfare safety net.

Mayor Yoo also pledged to make the vision of a transportation revolution a reality. Starting with free tolls for residents of Yeongjong and Cheongna, the Third Link Bridge, which will open on January 5, is expected to become a new economic artery for Incheon, and the benefit will gradually be expanded to all Incheon citizens.

He said, "Finally, the era of KTX trains departing from Incheon is opening. Now, Incheon will be connected to major cities nationwide within one or two hours, creating a half-day living zone. In addition, we will steadily advance the GTX-B project-which recently decided to add Cheonghak Station-as well as the Incheon Line 3 connecting Songdo, Cheongna, and Geomdan. By undergrounding the Gyeongin Expressway and Gyeongin Line railway, we will reconnect the divided urban areas, achieve balanced development between the old and new city centers, and ensure a 'four-way thoroughfare' where people can travel quickly and conveniently from anywhere."

Incheon Mayor Yoo Jung-bok is explaining Incheon's economic growth and population increase rate at the press conference held on July 1st last year, marking his third anniversary in office. Provided by Incheon City

This year, Mayor Yoo plans to solidify Incheon's status as the "second economic city" and focus on elevating it to a "global top ten city."

To achieve this, Incheon will further accelerate the development of advanced industries, which are the city's growth engine and South Korea's survival strategy. The city will create a full-cycle bio-innovation ecosystem centered on Songdo, Yeongjong, and Namdong, and build a world-class bio cluster.

Incheon will also establish a dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) department to foster a physical AI innovation ecosystem and lead the structural transformation of the manufacturing industry through AI adoption. The city plans to expand the Incheon Free Economic Zone southward to Ganghwa and strengthen the designation, while also promoting the creation of a Future Energy Park on Yeongheung Island, converting the Yeongheung Thermal Power Plant into a carbon-free power plant, and building an advanced industrial complex that includes data and R&D centers.

Mayor Yoo also presented a vision for opening a new era of urban regeneration and balanced development in the old city center.

He stated, "The Jemulpo Renaissance Project, which will bring innovative change to the old city center, officially began at the end of last year with the demolition of the Songhyeon Free Market. We will fully push forward with the redevelopment of Inner Port Piers 1 and 8 and the development of the Dongincheon Station area. In July this year, we will complete the administrative reorganization to a two-county, nine-district system with the launch of Jemulpogu, Yeongjonggu, and Geomdangu, thereby laying a solid foundation for balanced development tailored to each region's characteristics."

He added, "From this year, we have succeeded in banning direct landfilling of household waste in the Seoul metropolitan area. We will also complete the remaining tasks, such as securing alternative landfill sites, so that the metropolitan landfill site can be transformed from a nuisance facility into a treasure trove for Incheon."