I cover a wide range of stories about Korean society — one of the most dynamic places in the world. To me, journalism means being on the ground, uncovering untold stories and amplifying marginalized voices, especially in an era when AI is reshaping the media landscape. That’s why I’m always here to listen. Tips and stories are welcome — feel free to reach out via email. Before becoming a journalist, I traveled through 24 countries over 702 days, served two years as a military police officer in the Republic of Korea Air Force and later studied filmmaking at the Korea National University of Arts.
Foreign biz chambers, civic groups decry discriminatory toll policy for Incheon bridge
Vehicles travel across Cheongna Sky Bridge linking Yeongjong Island, home to Incheon International Airport, with Cheongna International City in Incheon, Jan. 5. Yonhap
By Park Ung
Nationality, residency or tax contribution at center of benefits dispute in gateway to Korea
A toll exemption policy for the newly opened Cheongna Sky Bridge in Incheon has raised concerns among foreign business chambers over fair and equal treatment, after The Korea Times reported that a city ordinance excludes foreign residents from skipping payment.
The controversy has raised broader questions about whether nationality-based classifications — rather than residency, tax contributions or daily use — should determine access to public services and benefits in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ), one of the country’s most internationally open regions.
Opened last month, the 4.68-kilometer bridge links Incheon International Airport, Korea’s main international gateway, with Cheongna International City, a major business hub.
Vehicles registered to residents of Incheon’s Yeongjong Island, Cheongna and the islands of Bukdo Township qualify for unlimited toll exemptions on Cheongna Sky Bridge.
Foreign residents, however, are not eligible for the exemption — even if they reside in the same areas — because the city ordinance limits eligibility to addresses listed under the Resident Registration Act, while foreign residents’ addresses are recorded separately under the Immigration Act.
Vehicles travel across Cheongna Sky Bridge linking Yeongjong Island, home to Incheon International Airport, with Cheongna International City in Incheon, Jan. 5. Yonhap
Overseas chambers of commerce in Korea have raised concerns about the bridge’s toll policy.
In an email to The Korea Times, the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) said the issue could be seen as a negative signal, particularly because Yeongjong International City is part of IFEZ, which has actively sought to attract foreign investment and international professionals.
“If foreign residents are excluded from local benefits despite sharing the same residency conditions, some may feel they are recognized as workers — but not fully as members of the local community,” AMCHAM said. “This can influence perceptions of quality of life and long-term assignment decisions.”
AMCHAM also cautioned that the toll policy could affect the business climate, saying predictability and equal treatment for residents who live, work and pay taxes locally are essential to a stable operating environment.
The chamber said it would be open to conveying member companies’ concerns to relevant authorities through cooperative, solution-oriented dialogue, adding that the toll policy could appear inconsistent with the inclusive international environment that IFEZ was designed to promote.
The British Chamber of Commerce in Korea (BCCK) said foreign residents contribute to local communities and pay the same taxes as Korean nationals, but administrative separation can still exclude them from local benefits — such as toll exemptions on Cheongna Sky Bridge — even when they live in the same areas.
“This creates an unintended administrative barrier that undermines fairness and consistency in public policy,” BCCK said.
“The chamber respectfully urges the relevant authorities to review and improve the current system to ensure that all tax-paying residents are treated equitably and are able to access public benefits without discrimination arising from administrative classification.”
Human rights and immigration lawyers, along with migrant rights activists, also say the bridge’s toll policy is unreasonable.
“Authorities could have set criteria such as tax payment when determining eligibility for toll exemptions. But if nationality is used as the standard, it inevitably amounts to discrimination,” said Lee Il, an attorney at Advocates for Public Interest Law, a law organization focusing on migrants.
Lee added that limiting toll exemptions to Korean nationals — who can clearly express their political will — lacks solid legal grounds and is unreasonable for foreign residents who pay taxes and live in the area.
Hwang Pil-kyu, a lawyer at the GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation, said the bridge’s toll policy could infringe on the constitutional right to freedom of movement, noting that allowing Koreans to pass freely while charging foreigners under the same conditions raises serious concerns.
“A toll system that discriminates against foreign residents who live here long term is legally and socially problematic,” Hwang said, adding that any short-term fiscal gains would likely be outweighed by harm to social cohesion.
Ko Gi-bok, head of the migrant rights group 1218 For All, said the situation was unacceptable given the growing number of foreign residents in Korea.
“The issue could have been handled more properly, but officials appeared to make an overly complacent judgment,” said Ko, who has been working on migrant issues for nearly 30 years.