A view of the Baengmajang area in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon. [Incheon Archives DB]
A view of the Baengmajang area in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon. [Incheon Archives DB]

A place name in Incheon's Bupyeong-gu believed to be a remnant of Japan's colonial rule is set to be officially abolished.

Bupyeong-gu held its first toponymy committee meeting of 2026 on Tuesday and voted to approve a proposal to abolish the officially designated place name "Baengmajang," a historical name for the Sangok-dong area.

Baengmajang has long been used to refer to the Sangok-dong area of Bupyeong-gu and is believed to be a Japanese-style place name assigned during the colonial period (1910–1945).

It has been listed and managed under the National Geographic Information Institute's registry of Japanese-style place names slated for revision.

The Bupyeong-gu toponymy committee conducted a detailed review of historical maps and old documents, comprehensively analyzing the name's origins, historical evolution and actual usage in the local community.

As a result, the committee concluded that abolition was warranted, citing the need to eliminate colonial-era vestiges and the name's limited value as a preserved official designation.

The district will now move forward with follow-up procedures. The plan calls for a secondary review by the Incheon Metropolitan City toponymy committee in the fourth quarter of this year, after which the National Geographic Information Institute will issue a final public notice to complete the abolition process.

"We plan to continuously monitor official place names within the district following this decision," a Bupyeong-gu official said, adding that the district would consistently pursue a comprehensive investigation and revision of local place names in need of correction, including those that are unregistered or not yet officially designated.


gilbert@heraldcorp.com