Incheon

Incheon
Incheon
Metropolitan city
	Incheon Metropolitan City
	Songdo International Business District Jayu Park Incheon Bridge Incheon International Airport Incheon Football Stadium
	Flag Logo
	Anthem: Song of Incheon
	Incheon Location within South Korea Incheon Location within Asia
	Coordinates: 37°29′N 126°38′E / 37.483°N 126.633°E
Country	South Korea
Region	Seoul Metropolitan
Established	18 BC; as Michuhol; 1995 AD; as Incheon Metropolitan City
Subdivisions	List 9 districts ("gu"); Bupyeong District; Geomdan District; Namdong District; Jemulpo District; Michuhol District; Namdong District; Seohae District; Yeonsu District; Yeongjong District; ; 2 counties ("gun"); Ganghwa County; Ongjin County;
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
• Mayor	Park Chan-dae (Democratic)
• Body	Incheon Metropolitan Council
Area
• Total	1,062.63 km2 (410.28 sq mi)
Population (January 2026)
• Total	3,015,482
• Density	2,837.75/km2 (7,349.75/sq mi)
GDP (Nominal, 2023)
• Total	KRW 117 trillion; (US$ 94 billion)
• Per capita	US$ 35,295
Time zone	UTC+9 (Korea Standard Time)
Area code	+82-31
ISO 3166 code	KR-28
Dialect	Gyeonggi
Flower	Rose
Tree	Tulip tree
Bird	Crane
Website	Official website (English)
Korean name
Hangul	인천광역시
Hanja	仁川廣域市
RR	Incheon-gwangyeoksi
MR	Inch'ŏn-gwangyŏksi

Incheon is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. As of February 2020, about 3 million people live in the city, making it South Korea's third-most-populous city after Seoul and Busan.

The city's growth has been assured in modern times with the development of its port due to its natural advantages as a coastal city and its proximity to the South Korean capital. It is part of the Seoul Metropolitan Area, along with Seoul itself and Gyeonggi Province, forming the world's fourth-largest metropolitan area by population.

Incheon has since led the economic development of South Korea by opening its port to the outside world, ushering in the modernization of South Korea as a center of industrialization. In 2003, the city was designated as South Korea's first free economic zone. Since then, large local companies and global enterprises have increasingly invested in the Incheon Free Economic Zone, including Samsung which chose Songdo International City as its new investment destination for its bio industry.

As an international city, Incheon has held numerous large-scale international conferences, such as the Incheon Global Fair & Festival in 2009. The 17th Asian Games Incheon 2014 was also held in Incheon on 19 September 2014. Incheon is also a major transportation hub in northeast Asia, with Incheon International Airport and Incheon Port. The large volume of port traffic makes Incheon a Large-Port Metropolis using the Southampton System of Port-City classification.