The Ultramodern Incheon Metropolitan City, South Korea

Incheon metropolitan city is a major international port and a transportation hub. It has a  living population of about 3 million people. It has started developing as a great economic zone having large industrial and tourism interest. Incheon in 2003 was designated to be the first free economic zone of South Korea. This place is a center of industrialization in Korea by opening its port to the outside world which leads to the economic development of this country. Since it is a free economic zone many huge local and international companies have invested their projects here.

History

This place had many changes in its name since 475AD. In 1413, the current name Incheon was given. The city was originally a part of Gyeonggi Province but in 1981 it was separated from that province. Earlier, Incheon was known as Inchon before South Korea adopted New Romanization system in the year 2000. In the Russo-Japanese war, the city was the site of Battle of Chemulpo Bay where the first shots were fired. In 1883, the city became an international port and the population of citizens at that time was only 4,700. During the Japanese era, the people of Korea were treated very badly. They were forced to worship their god, speak their language and Japanese names.

Cultural Identity

The population here is not religious and about 50% follow Muism. There is 36% of the population who follow Christianity,  while some follow Buddhism and other indigenous religions. The staple food here is rice and Incheon produces the best rice in Korea so a Rice Festival is celebrated at this place. The official language of this place is Korean. The other languages used here include English, Japanese and Mandarin. The other festivals celebrated here include Incheon-China Day Cultural Festival in which there are dragon dances, cooking contents and other artistic cultural performances and demonstrations and Pentaport Rock Festival which attracts major international activities like electronic based music and dance.

Natural Resources

There are many important and useful natural resources found in Incheon. These natural resources include coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, limestone, lead, hydropower potential and petroleum. The environment was very healthy and full of greenery but due to urbanization, it has been reduced now. As the place is near the coast there are many fishes and other sea animals which are being used for food or for exporting purposes.  The place exports a good amount of natural resources to the other parts of the country.

Local Guides and Tours

The Incheon City Tour: This tour starts at Wolmi Park which is full of history, nature, and culture. This is for free and people can go camping and explore the sites at this park. Also, people can wear the traditional costumes, cook the traditional cuisine and taste them. After the park people go and visit some old and traditional Korean houses and gardens. The next place on this tour is Shimpo market where there are many kinds of Korean dishes, footwear, and clothing.

Incheon Temple Tour: In this tour, people visit the famous temples of the city in which one of the main is Heungryunsa Temple. After visiting that people go to the memorial hall which has a great and stupendous artwork.

Transportation

The International Airport of Incheon is a bit far from the main city which is located on Yeongjong Island. It takes almost an hour to reach the main city from the airport. It is South Korea’s main gateway.  A bus can be taken or a taxi to reach the main city. People who stay in the cities of China like Weihai, Dandong, Qingdao, and Tianjin can also reach this city by ferry. The city has a major international port.  If people want to travel from any of the cities of South Korea they can travel by buses.

To travel within the city and get around to reach from one place to another people can take subways, buses, and taxis.

Transportation Cost

For a flight from China or Tokyo to Incheon airport, it costs around 97000 won. The fare for a ferry from China will cost around 88000 won. The journeys are long and take almost 24 hours.

To get around the city for traveling the fare of the buses cost around 800 won-2500 won as per the convenience and distance. The fare price of subways starts from 900 won and goes on increasing as the distance increases. The fare for taxis starts from 2500 won and they also increase with the distance traveled.

Political scenario

The political scenario in Incheon city is based on the government of South Korea. In South Korea, the government is divided into two which is high-level government and low-level government. The high-level government includes Seoul special city, six metropolises, eight provinces, and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The local government is elected by the direct elections for the term of four years. The city of Incheon is governed and administrated by a governor. The present governor of Incheon is Yoo Jeong-bok.

Economic scenario

At the time of industrialization of South Korea, the city was hugely dependent on manufacturing industry. After the city is being designated as Incheon Free Economic Zone in 2003, many other industries started developing here. The main reason to make this place a free economic zone was to expand and grow the economy of this city and to promote tourism. The bio-industries in the past few years are developing as a new industry. The logistics industry is also expanding largely because of the Incheon International Airport. Incheon port being one of the busiest cargos has also given a contribution in developing the economy of Incheon.

Reasons to Select the Destination

There are many reasons to visit this place. People here can enjoy lavish and delicious cultural cuisine at this place. The South Korean food and seafood here are amazing and mouthwatering. Shopping at this place is again why people visit the place. It has many local markets of many traditional wears and also has many shopping malls. The Incheon International Airport is considered to be one of the world’s best airports. It has got a golf course, an ice skating rink, a casino and a Cultural Korean Museum. Also, it has private rooms for sleeping. This place has a wonderful Subway system. The subways are rats free, fast moving and are Wi-Fi zoned. There are a variety of places to visit and experience the adventures. There are theme parks for fun and enjoyment. Also, people visit many historical temples which have beautiful and astounding sculptures, monuments and carvings.