Incheon to invest W31.3b in air quality push with public institutions

Incheon is stepping up efforts to improve local air quality by partnering with public institutions that operate major national infrastructure in the region.

The city aims to reduce pollutants generated by large-scale facilities — including airports, ports and a metropolitan landfill — to create measurably cleaner air for residents.

On Wednesday, the city hosted the 2026 Incheon Clean Corporation Council environmental improvement project meeting at City Hall, reviewing progress on this year's air quality initiatives and discussing ways to strengthen inter-agency cooperation.

The Incheon Clean Corporation Council is a consultative body comprising Incheon City, Incheon International Airport Corporation, Incheon Port Authority, Korea Gas Corporation and the Metropolitan Area Landfill Site Management Corporation. The group jointly pursues projects to reduce air pollution from major national infrastructure.

The council has been carrying out pollution-reduction projects since signing a Phase 3 environmental improvement agreement (2025–2029) last year.

At Wednesday's meeting, participants shared results from last year's environmental improvement projects. The Metropolitan Area Landfill Site Management Corporation was recognized as an outstanding institution, and commendations were presented to meritorious individuals from each member organization.

According to the council, member institutions invested a combined 60.6 billion won ($40.9 million) in environmental improvement projects last year, cutting 375 tons of air pollutants.

This year, the council has drawn up an investment plan totaling 31.3 billion won, of which about 9.7 billion won was spent in the first half.

Key projects include upgrading pollutant-emitting facilities, repairing aging equipment, expanding eco-friendly energy infrastructure such as solar panels, reducing fugitive dust and planting tree belts. The city is also reinforcing the continuous operation and monitoring of existing environmental facilities to keep pollutant emissions in check.

"Incheon is home to a concentration of critical national infrastructure — airports, ports and the metropolitan landfill — which makes environmental management by public institutions all the more important," said Jeong Seung-hwan, director of Incheon City's Environment Bureau. "We will work through the council to deepen cooperation among member agencies and do our utmost to deliver cleaner air that residents can actually feel."