Stories from Incheon · South Korea

Yana Egoryan won the gold medal at the figure skating Grand Prix event held in Incheon, South Korea. She defeated American skater Maya Chamberlain in the final with a score of 15-7. Arcel Navara of Spain and Ioana Ilieva of Bulgaria secured the bronze medals.

South Korean police extradited a suspect identified as Choi from Thailand to Incheon International Airport at approximately 9:40 AM. Choi is accused of supplying drugs to Daguhakryo, a major drug kingpin in the Philippines.

Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, representing the People Power Party, held a campaign kickoff event at the plaza in front of Incheon City Hall. Yoo presented administrative continuity and experience as his core competitive advantages for his reelection bid.

Park Chan-dae, a Democratic Party candidate for Incheon Mayor, held a vision declaration ceremony. He revealed a master plan strategy centered on artificial intelligence and biotechnology. The announcement aims to establish these sectors as core economic pillars. People Power Party candidate Yoo Jeong-bok held a campaign launch at City Hall Plaza, said administrative continuity and experience. Both candidates are competing for the Incheon mayoral position.

Incheon is planning to connect the KTX line to Songdo Station by the end of this year. The plan includes using shuttles to link the Incheon International Terminal to create KTX demand.

A security guard in his 60s died after being struck by a white SUV in Incheon. The vehicle reportedly drove onto the sidewalk and struck the guard before traveling approximately 10 meters and stopping in the middle of a crosswalk. Witnesses reported a chaotic scene as pedestrians attempted to flee the vehicle. The victim was transported to a hospital in cardiac arrest but later passed away. The victim assisted students with pedestrian crossings at an apartment entrance crosswalk during morning school hours between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. Residents left white chrysanthemums and notes of gratitude at the accident site. Police investigations revealed the driver had consumed more sleeping pills than usual the previous day. The incident occurred during the driver's attempt to provide passage guidance.

YTN Radio reports that construction projects in South Korea, including the Shin-do Peace Bridge in Incheon, have been halted due to shortages of construction materials like asphalt concrete. The supply of asphalt, derived from crude oil refining, was cut off at the end of March. Other materials such as ready-mixed concrete and steel also face supply issues and price increases, with naphtha-based materials seeing prices rise by 30% and steel inventory dropping to 50% of normal levels, costing 40% more. Experts predict that even if Middle East tensions ease, material costs and supply chain issues may persist, impacting the construction industry long-term. The government plans to increase financial support to improve liquidity.