Incheon Seeks Support for G20 Bid

Park Chan-dae, Mayor of Incheon, meets with ambassadors to South Korea at the '2026 First Global Challenge' on October 7. (Provided by Incheon Metropolitan City) The reception venue at Gyeongwonjae by Walkerhill in Songdo was transformed into a diplomatic arena for Incheon's bid to host the G20 Summit. On Oct. 7, Incheon Metropolitan City formally requested the official support of ambassadors to South Korea from 16 countries who attended the '2026 First Global Challenge' reception, presenting the case for why Incheon should serve as the host city of the G20 Summit. The city engaged directly with the diplomatic envoys at the event, offering a concentrated presentation of Incheon's vision as an international city and its tangible capacity to host the summit. Particular emphasis was placed on highlighting the city's strengths as a candidate city, including its accumulated experience in international exchange, strong geographical accessibility, and its distinctive MICE infrastructure. Incheon Metropolitan City successfully secured the hosting rights for the '2026 First Global Challenge,' an event drawing some 4,500 participants, including young people from 185 countries around the world, and demonstrated stable on-site operations throughout. This is evaluated as a case that proves the city's operational capability to carry out large-scale international events without disruption. Building on this practical competitiveness, the city plans to raise the level of its external bid campaign further. Park Chan-dae, Mayor of Incheon, said, "This event was a meaningful occasion in which we were able to meet directly with ambassadors to South Korea and explain Incheon's capabilities and the necessity of hosting the G20." He added, "We will continue to leverage various opportunities for international exchange to promote Incheon's strengths and broaden international consensus and the base of support."