Foreign biz chambers, civic groups decry discriminatory toll policy for Incheon bridge

A toll exemption policy for the newly opened Cheongna Sky Bridge in Incheon has raised concerns among foreign business chambers over fair and equal treatment, after The Korea Times reported that a city ordinance excludes foreign residents from skipping payment. The controversy has raised broader questions about whether nationality-based classifications — rather than residency, tax contributions or daily use — should determine access to public services and benefits in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ), one of the country’s most internationally open regions. Opened last month, the 4.68-kilometer bridge links Incheon International Airport, Korea’s main international gateway, with Cheongna International City, a major business hub. Vehicles registered to residents of Incheon’s Yeongjong Island, Cheongna and the islands of Bukdo Township qualify for unlimited toll exemptions on Cheongna Sky Bridge. Foreign residents, however, are not eligible for the exemption — even if they reside in the same areas — because the city ordinance limits eligibility to addresses listed under the