Incheon to institutionalize resident surveys in airport noise zones

Incheon will establish a formal mechanism to systematically assess the living conditions and welfare needs of residents in airport noise zones.

An amendment to the city's ordinance on resident support in airport noise-control areas, sponsored by Incheon Metropolitan Council Member Shin Young-hee of the People Power Party representing Ongjin-gun, cleared the Urban Construction Committee at the 313th extraordinary session on Tuesday.

The core of the revision is the explicit inclusion in the ordinance of a legal basis for conducting resident surveys in airport noise-control zones.

Until now, Incheon's airport noise ordinance had focused primarily on the implementation of resident support projects and the securing of funding.

It lacked a formal, institutionalized basis for regularly and objectively assessing the day-to-day hardships faced by noise-affected residents and the welfare needs of individual communities.

To address that gap, the amendment adds Article 3-2, establishing a dedicated provision for resident surveys.

Under the revised ordinance, Incheon will be able to survey residents in noise-control zones on the extent of harm caused by airport noise, their living conditions, residential and settlement environments, and demand for welfare and daily-life support.

Particularly significant is that the amendment goes beyond simply documenting residents' grievances — it institutionally links survey findings to the planning of future resident support projects and the identification of new support initiatives. The revision lays the groundwork for setting priorities and directions for support programs based on data gathered in the field, moving away from a model in which the administration unilaterally determines what residents need.

If the amendment receives final approval and is promulgated, surveys will be conducted targeting residents in Incheon's airport noise-control zones and surrounding areas designated under standards finalized and publicly announced in December 2022.

The survey will cover a total of 7,202 households — 359 in Ongjin-gun and Yeongjong-gu, which fall under Incheon International Airport's jurisdiction, and 6,843 in Gyeyang-gu and Seo-gu, which fall under Gimpo International Airport's jurisdiction.

The surveys are expected to combine noise measurement data from each airport with resident questionnaires and on-site visits conducted at the county and district level.

"To provide meaningful support to residents suffering from airport noise, we must first accurately understand the damage they face on the ground and what they actually need," Shin said.

"This amendment establishes the institutional basis for resident surveys so that residents' voices can be reflected in policy and budgeting," she added. "I hope the findings will translate into resident support projects tailored to the characteristics of each community, expanding support that people can feel in their daily lives."