Incheon Metropolitan Council to host policy debate forum on regional issues

The Incheon Metropolitan Council will host the ‘2026 Policy Debate Forum’ on September 1 and 2. This event marks the first major policy discussion organized by the newly inaugurated 10th Council.

Co-hosted with the Incheon City Government Research Network (ICReN), the forum will involve approximately 100 participants, including 45 council members, 32 advisory committee members, and experts from 15 public institutions. The discussions are divided into six key themes across various standing committees:

• Public Safety: Measures to enhance disaster safety awareness. • Welfare: Policy directions based on the working conditions of care workers. • Economy: Risks of elderly entrepreneurship and local government support. • Urban Development: Transitioning from smart cities to AI cities. • Environment: Air quality in underground stations and preemptive response strategies. • Education: Shifting teacher mental health policies toward prevention.

Council Speaker Park Jong-hyuk stated that the council aims to connect citizen voices directly to policy. The results of these debates will be used to inform legislative activities, such as the enactment or amendment of local ordinances and formal policy recommendations to the city.