Under the ambitious vision of becoming a world-class city, Incheon Metropolitan City has been going all-out to prepare for the successful hosting of the Global Fair & Festival 2009 and the construction of advanced infrastructure.
"Incheon, equipped with a world famous international airport and harbor, will be reborn as a world-class city through completion of free economic zones, balanced regional development and improvement of the quality of citizens," said Incheon Metropolitan City Mayor Ahn Sang-soo.
In an interview with the Korea IT Times Ahn said: "Through development of tourism resources and the indigenous products of Incheon particularly, Incheon will become an international city, environmental city, educational city and safe city."
At the same time, Incheon will make full preparations for the upcoming 2014 Asian Games by building an international-quality stadium and LNG sports town, the city administrator said.
Mayor Ahn is doing all he can to realize the port city's bold dream of growing into a truly global business center that houses hundreds of international enterprises, universities and hospitals by around 2014, outgrowing other global cities like Dubai or Shanghai.
"With global investors looking for safer investment destinations, Incheon is emerging as an ideal place for them," he said.
IFEZ Vision 2020
"By 2014, the IFEZ will be home to the Northeast Asian headquarters of more than 300 foreign companies, 30 international organizations including United Nations affiliated bodies, and 15 foreign universities' extended campuses," Ahn said.
"Encouraged by cultural attractions and a clean environment, the free economic zone is expected to annually draw 20 million foreign tourists, making it one of the world's top 10 cities by 2020," he said.
Ahn said the city's free economic zone, comprised of Songdo, Yeongjong and Cheongna reclaimed land, will outgrow its global rivals, as it is more systematically designed and planned to meet all kinds of needs.
"We are still in the initial phase of our long-term development projects. But I'm confident that Incheon will emerge as one of the 10 global must-visit cities," Ahn said.
The mayor continued by saying, "No matter what you want, it will be within 30 minutes of you, including offices, houses, a hospital and schools, as well as leisure activities."
"The IFEZ will lead the future of Asia by creating synergy effects with the Gaeseong Industrial Complex of North Korea and make a great leap forward as a center of global trade. Its air network links Incheon International Airport to the world, the continental network linking Eurasia, and the ocean network linking Incheon Port to major global ports," said the mayor.
Programs to Attract Foreign Investment
To attract more active investment from domestic and foreign enterprises, the IFEZ Authority is mapping out concrete programs especially aimed at financially healthy global companies, including small sized ones.
In particular, it plans to attract top-class global companies by linking advanced IFEZ infrastructure, such as u-City technology, with world-famous companies. It also plans to build industrial estates both for multinational enterprises and small and medium-sized companies possessing core technology, and create synergy effects with Korean companies.
To create a ubiquitous culture and tourism environment, it will actively push ahead with such projects as construction of a Guggenheim Museum, ecology center, shopping mall, and A1 motor race track.
"At the same time, it will create a world-class hub of education and study in Northeast Asia by creating R&D parks, improving educational conditions for foreigners and building clusters linking academic, industrial and research circles related to the advanced knowledge industry," Mayor Ahn said.
Global Fair & Festival 2009 Incheon
Under the slogan of Lightening Tomorrow, Global Fair & Festival 2009 Incheon will be held in Songdo International City for 80 days from August 7 to October 25. It will offer pleasure and impressions to domestic and foreign visitors using advanced technology and some 60 programs featuring exhibitions, events and conferences, Mayor Ahn said.
"In a nutshell, the international event will show all of Incheon City, including its culture, environment, advanced technology, city development, exhibitions, events and conferences," he explained.
For instance, visitors to the festival can experience the appearance of a futuristic city, feel a new environment and new energy, enjoy amusements, and learn about the chapter of education for growing children, he said.
The main event halls will be divided into four categories - environmental energy, cultural tourism, city development and events. Through exhibitions and events, visitors to the festival can experience advanced IT technology, the present and future of the robot industry, the IFEZ, and cultural tourism.
During the global event period, such international conferences as APCS and the World Knowledge Forum will be held in Incheon.
Visit Incheon 2009 Korea
On the occasion of Visit Incheon 2009 Korea, Incheon City will open the nation's first lighthouse on Palmido Island for the first time in 106 years. On January 1 this year, a great number of tourists visited Incheon to enjoy a sunrise event.
From March to October a series of cultural arts festivals will be held every weekend at Freedom Park to provide domestic and foreign visitors with great pleasure, Ahn said.
Visitors can also participate in the event to celebrate the completion of the 21 kilometer-long Incheon Great Bridge, the longest bridge in Korea, in October. They can cross Incheon Great Bridge in a variety of ways, including on bicycle, in-line skates, motorbikes, and on foot, during the event period.
"Incheon City plans to attract a total of 22 million tourists in 2009 through a variety of festivals and events. Through the events we also plan to promote the city's regional economy and show the merits of the city to foreign tourists, not to mention Korean visitors," he said.
Incheon to host 2014 Asian Games
Under the active support of some 2.7 million Incheon citizens and the City, Incheon City succeeded in attracting the 2014 Asian Games, defeating its main rival New Delhi.
"Incheon City's hosting of the international sports event will help the city upgrade its status in the international arena in the 21st century and arrange the foundation for the peaceful unification of South and North Korea through inter-Korean cooperation in the development of joint special economic and tourism zones, greatly contributing to peace in Asia and the world," said Ahn.
Incheon, which is located in the center of Northeast Asia near China, Japan, Russia and North Korea, will grow into a logistics and economic center of Northeast Asia, he said.
At the same time, the city boasts advanced traffic systems, including Incheon International Airport, Incheon Port, a number of expressways, regional roads, subways and railroads. "Along with this, South Korea is equipped with a perfect safety system, boasting the lowest crime rate among OECD member countries," Ahn said.
"The international event will bring about such economic value creation effects as W13 trillion [US$10.4 billion] in production inducement, W5.6 trillion [US$4.48 billion] in production of added value, and the creation of 270,000 jobs," he said.
Interview
The following are excerpts from an interview with Incheon Metropolitan City Mayor Ahn Sang-soo.
Q: Do you think that Incheon has enough potential to grow into a business city representing Northeast Asia based on Songdo international city
A: We can cite three factors as to the competitiveness of the IFEZ. Firstly, Incheon has geological and economic merits as the city is adjacent to China, the world's largest market, and Japan boasting of the world's top-class high technology.
Secondly, it is armed with a top-class logistics infrastructure, including an international airport and a harbor. Thirdly, the city has high-quality manpower in the IT and BT sectors.
Q: Owing to the global economic downturn, the Incheon development projects are facing many difficulties. Do you have any idea to survive such hardship
A: We plan to ride out these difficult problems through the flawless propagation of infrastructure in the IFEZ, which comprises Songdo, Yeongjong and Cheongna districts, and the persistent attraction of foreign investment.
In the investment attraction sector, three projects have been already fixed. A theme park-type golf course will be built for official opening on Oct. 10, 2009. The construction of an international business town will be completed in the first half of 2010. Along with this, Incheon City is making a strong push for the construction of Robot Land.
Q: Incheon City and Cisco Systems of the United States recently signed a letter of intent, under which Cisco will invest US$2 billion over the coming five years for construction of a U-City in Incheon. Would you explain the project
A: IFEZ Authority and Cisco will soon launch joint projects for drawing up a service strategy road map, technology architecture, and other detailed business operation model developments. Both sides will also seek various investment means to provide ubiquitous Information Communication Technology (ICT) services for people in the IFEZ. Meanwhile, Cisco, the world's largest networking equipment maker, will develop solutions to let Incheon City develop into a futuristic advanced city armed with top-class IT technology.
