Jeomulpo-gu District Mayor Kim Chan-jin (right) meets with Ki Woo-jong, deputy chief of the Court Administration, at the National Assembly on Wednesday to request that the permanent headquarters of the maritime court be located within the redevelopment zone of Piers 1 and 8 at Incheon's inner port. [Jeomulpo-gu]
Jeomulpo-gu District Mayor Kim Chan-jin (right) meets with Ki Woo-jong, deputy chief of the Court Administration, at the National Assembly on Wednesday to request that the permanent headquarters of the maritime court be located within the redevelopment zone of Piers 1 and 8 at Incheon's inner port. [Jeomulpo-gu]

Jeomulpo-gu District Mayor Kim Chan-jin has personally approached the Court Administration to request that the permanent headquarters of South Korea's maritime court be established within the redevelopment zone of Piers 1 and 8 at Incheon's inner port.

According to Jeomulpo-gu, Kim met with Ki Woo-jong, deputy chief of the Court Administration, at the National Assembly on Wednesday, arguing that the redevelopment site at Incheon's Piers 1 and 8 is the ideal location for the maritime court's permanent home and calling for the agency's active cooperation.

Kim laid out four core arguments for why Jeomulpo-gu is the best fit: revitalization of the original city center and balanced regional development, the area's historical significance as the birthplace of maritime jurisprudence in Korea, excellent transport accessibility, and operational continuity with the court's planned temporary premises.

He argued that if the maritime court anchors the redevelopment of Piers 1 and 8, high-value related industries — including maritime law, finance and brokerage — would cluster in the area, maximizing the economic impact and breathing new life into the original city center.

Kim also noted that Jeomulpo-gu opened as a port in 1883 and hosted Korea's first "open-port tribunal" in 1895, making it the cradle of modern maritime commerce and jurisprudence. The presence of the Incheon Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries and other related agencies in the area further strengthens the case for siting the court there, he said.

On transport, Kim said the site is reachable from Incheon International Airport by vehicle in 30 to 40 minutes, offering strong accessibility for overseas parties. Rail connections are also well-developed, with subway Line 1's Dongincheon Station and the Suin-Bundang Line's Sinpo and Incheon stations nearby, and a planned Incheon Urban Railway Line 3 set to improve links further.

Kim particularly emphasized that the former Jung-gu council building within Jeomulpo-gu was confirmed in June as the temporary home of the maritime court, which is set to open in March 2028. Building the permanent headquarters at the adjacent Piers 1 and 8 site would allow the court to carry over the temporary facility's infrastructure, IT systems and security setup, cutting costs and minimizing administrative disruption, he said.

"If the maritime court's permanent headquarters is built at Jeomulpo-gu's Piers 1 and 8, we can achieve two goals at once — revitalizing the original city center and advancing maritime justice in Korea," Kim said. "We look forward to a wise decision from the Court Administration."


gilbert@heraldcorp.com