On the 20th, I visited the Geumchang-dong public parking lot in Dong-gu, Incheon. Built under the athletic field of the Incheon Industrial Information School, the facility covers 2,644.91 m² (about 28,470 sq ft) and provides 83 parking spaces.
Designed so that students use the ground level while vehicles circulate below, this is Incheon's first public parking lot constructed beneath a school athletic field.
Construction began in July 2024 and took roughly 18 months to complete.
Because the project required removing the entire athletic field and excavating below it, the district, the education office, the school and local residents negotiated in advance over limits on field use, student safety and funding before giving the project the go-ahead.
Since the lot opened, illegal parking that once clogged the school perimeter and nearby alleys has decreased.
An 83-year-old resident of Geumgok-dong identified only as A said, \"Cars used to line the school fence and the alleys, but since the lot went into full operation in March, the situation has improved a lot. Since the lot started charging in April, some vehicles have returned to the alleys, but overall it's better.\"
Even so, projects that place public parking beneath school athletic fields rarely reach completion.
Construction renders athletic fields unusable, prompting concerns about students' right to uninterrupted learning; there are also challenges related to construction safety and securing funds.
In 2024, Incheon spent about 80,000,000 KRW (approximately $60,000) to conduct feasibility studies at 14 schools to address parking shortages in the city's older downtown, but consultations revived disputes over restrictions on field use and the inconvenience to students.
Schools also pressed for combined facilities—such as libraries or swimming pools—arguing they could not accept the disruption for a parking-only project.
The Geumchang-dong project advanced as part of an urban regeneration New Deal program that included community cultural facilities, and officials paired it with a Ministry of Education grant to fill funding gaps.
Given these complexities, the city revised its original plan to cover 100% of costs with municipal funds. It now proposes funding only 50% of parking construction costs, contingent on selection through the Ministry of Education's grant program.
A city official said, \"Because many schools indicated they would not accept a parking-only project, we shifted to a support model tied to grant selection. To date, the city has not funded any parking lots on its own.\"
Despite the policy change, only one site—Cheonma Elementary in Seo District—remains under active discussion. Seo District is preparing a grant application after reviewing traffic and building feasibility and consulting with the school.
A Seo District official said, \"We are conducting studies and holding meetings to prepare a grant application, but we are still in the early stages. We plan to apply when the grant opens later this year.\"
/Park Hae-yun, reporter yun@incheonilbo.com
