Incheon's historic Jemulpo port district to become overnight tourism hub with W26.1b investment

The Jemulpo open-port district in Incheon — a symbol of the city's modern history and home to a dense concentration of historical assets — is set to be transformed from a day-trip destination into a hub where visitors can stay and explore the area's heritage.

Incheon Metropolitan City announced Monday that it has drawn up and will begin implementing a plan to develop the Jemulpo area as a stay-oriented historical and cultural base, covering 537,114 square meters of the Incheon Open-Port Cultural District. The project aims to organically connect and consolidate the area's historical, cultural and tourism resources.

Despite its rich modern cultural heritage, the open-port district has long been criticized for lacking the infrastructure needed to keep visitors overnight, with most trips limited to daytime sightseeing.

The need to establish a unified management system for the district's various cultural events and architectural assets, as well as to expand facilities tailored to different age groups, has also emerged as an urgent priority.

In response, the city plans to invest a total of 26.1 billion won ($19.5 million) in phases over six years, from October 2026 through December 2032, to revitalize the original city center.

The strategy is to build a foundation through short-term projects before expanding into medium- and long-term initiatives to maximize the regeneration effect.

The short-term phase, running through 2028, will focus on forming local governance structures to ensure effective project implementation.

An administrative consultative body and a community council for urban regeneration will be established to integrate management and operations into a single framework. Residents' opinions will also be actively gathered to roll out pilot projects with tangible impact first.

Priority initiatives include an environmental improvement project for Incheon Station Plaza and the Jemulpo Time Road project, which aims to highlight the historical character of the open-port district.

In the medium- and long-term phase, the city will draw up an urban regeneration activation plan and pursue competitive grant applications with central government ministries, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, after going through a public deliberation process involving community hearings and expert consultations.

Through this process, the city aims to secure up to 15 billion won in national funding, complete detailed designs for individual projects, finish all construction by 2032 and move into full operation.

Jung Seung-won, head of Incheon City's Jemulpo Innovation Division, said the city would "identify effective projects that faithfully reflect the voices of residents and the local community," adding that it plans to "run pilot projects ahead of full-scale urban regeneration to verify policy outcomes and build a step-by-step model for success."