Citizens protest against Incheon City 'backtracking'

Songdo citizens stage a protest against the Incheon Metropolitan City’s move to scale down a waterfront project, a major development plan for Songdo, in front of Incheon City Hall west of Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of Songdo International City Citizens Coalition

By Park Jin-hai

Songdo International Business District residents staged a protest against Incheon Metropolitan City, Monday, claiming the politically motivated city government is backtracking from an original water front project that they see as key to development of the area.

“Although the budget needed for the development comes from the Sondo district, not from city coffers, Incheon is trying to nullify the original plan, ditching the Incheon Free Economic Zone’s (IFEZ) key development plan,” said Songdo International City Citizens Coalition head Cho Hyung-kyu during the protest in front of Incheon City Hall.

Incheon is pushing to be the business hub of Northeast Asia, with international business headquarters and convention centers. The Songdo Water Front Project is a major development plan to build a waterway surrounding Songdo district.

It was to be a tourist landmark creating synergy with the envisioned meetings, incentive trips, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) infrastructure.

Incheon City approved the original waterfront development plan last year and repeated its approval following reviews last November and in August this year.

But Cho said that politically minded Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok had scaled down the plan and had put a revised version under review again.

“The investment review approved the feasibility of the plan, but the city has nullified it in the name of balanced city development and a lack of finance,” Cho said.

“This jeopardizes the plan to make the ocean city a special business district emulating Venice and Sydney.”

Cho said Incheon’s debts had depleted finance for the development, signaling the demise of the special district.

A slew of development plans has either been put on hold or revoked.

The city cited a lack of finance in ending a plan to build the 151-story Incheon Tower in Songdo, while plans for foreign hospitals to be established there have been drifting because of protests from local medical organizations. The GTX express train project has also been postponed.

“Instead of having a long-term vision to turn Songdo into a global city, the city government is only concerned about buying votes with populist projects,” Cho said.

The citizens’ coalition demanded that the local government stick to its original development plan.

Incheon Metropolitan City Government declined to comment.