INHA University
Published on 25 March 2026
▲The 2nd public forum of the Inha–Incheon Future Design Forum was held at Room 112 of the 60th Anniversary Hall (INHA Creative Space) on the March 11th.
Inha university successfully concluded the 2nd public forum of the Inha–Incheon Future Design Forum, which seeks sustainable future strategies for Incheon.
At this second forum, under the theme ‘How to Overcome the Crisis of the Local economy,’ participants diagnosed key issues in Incheon’s local economy—such as the crisis facing local self-employed businesses and small merchants, shrinking consumption, and financial debt—and explored practical policy alternatives.
Professor Kang Byeong-gu of the Department of Economics served as the moderator, and both field perspectives and academic solutions were discussed in depth.
Professor Han Jae-jun of the Department of Finance and Management participated as a presenter, analyzing the decline in regional consumption and the deterioration of the business environment for the self-employed amid high interest rates and high inflation, and proposed the need for region-tailored financial support and structural transition policies.
Lee Seong-won, Secretary General of the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprises and Self-Employed, highlighted structural difficulties—such as the debt burden of small business owners and issues related to rent and platform fees—based on field cases, and proposed measures for institutional improvement and strengthening the social safety net.
Following this, Park Jeong-man, former Director of the Seoul Financial Welfare Counseling Center; Kim Ha-un, Chairman of the NGO Together Incheon People; Byeon Dong-hun, CEO of Kona I; and Oh Seung-seop, Chairman of the Incheon Association of Small Manufacturers, participated in the discussion, presenting various alternatives including the role of local currency policies, financial welfare support systems, strengthening the competitiveness of small manufacturers, and building public-private cooperation models.
Participants agreed that the crisis of the local economy should be approached not only as a short-term economic response but as a comprehensive strategy linking industrial, financial, and welfare policies. In particular, they emphasized that local governments should organically design policies such as local currency, public procurement, and revitalization of neighborhood commercial districts so that they lead to a recovery in the perceived economic situation.
The 3rd Policy Public Forum, which will continue on the 18th, will be held under the theme ‘Sustainable Doughnut City Model and Policy Tasks for Incheon.’
Professor Kim Chang-gyun of the Department of Environmental Engineering will serve as moderator, and Professor Woo Seung-beom of the Department of Oceanography and Kim Byeong-kwon, Director of the Green Transition Institute, will present.
The presentations will examine environmental, marine, and energy policy tasks for Incheon from the perspective of ‘Doughnut Economics,’ which considers both the ecological limits of cities and their social foundations in the era of climate crisis.
Former Director Cho Gyeong-du of the Incheon Carbon Neutrality Research Support Center; Professor Lee Jun-beom of the Law School; Kim Chung-gi, Representative of the Incheon Urban Agriculture Network; and Jang Si-jeong, Steering Committee Member of the Incheon Citizen Power Cooperative Network, will participate in the discussion, addressing issues such as carbon neutrality, urban agriculture, citizen-participatory energy transition, and institutional foundations.
An official from the Regional Cooperation Center stated, “The second forum reaffirmed that the recovery of the local economy is the most urgent task for the local community,” adding, “In the upcoming third forum, we hope to gather wisdom together with citizens on a sustainable model for Incheon that can simultaneously address the climate crisis and inequality.”
▲Participants are taking a commemorative photo at the 2nd public forum of the Inha–Incheon Future Design Forum held on the 11th at Room 112 of the 60th Anniversary Hall (INHA Creative Space).
