Inch'ǒn

Inch'ǒn (formerly Chemulp'o), city in north-west South Korea, on the Yellow Sea at the mouth of the Han River. Situated near Seoul, Inch'ǒn serves as the capital's chief port and naval facility. Inch'ǒn imports textiles, silk, metals, railway equipment, and petroleum; and exports rice, beans, ginseng, hides, wheat, electronic equipment, and paper. Fishing plays an important role in the local economy, as it has for the past 500 years. Salt is also extracted from salt fields on the nearby tidal flats. Beaches for public swimming and excellent seafood attract crowds of visitors to Inch'ǒn in the summer. The city is administered directly as a province by the central government of South Korea.

Inch'ǒn was the site of the first visit to Korea by Western envoys in 1882. The following year Inch'ǒn—along with Pusan and Wonsan—was one of three Korean treaty ports opened to foreign trade. Inch'ǒn developed into a modern seaport during the period of Japanese rule in Korea between 1905 and 1945, when measures were taken to protect port facilities from the 10-metre (33-foot) tidal range.

Inch'ǒn is also known as the Korean War beachhead where a United Nations (UN) invasion force led by US General Douglas MacArthur landed on September 15, 1950. Widely considered to be the key moment in the war, the landing led to the liberation of Seoul, preventing further incursions by North Korean communist forces. Population 2,628,000 (2005 estimate).