Gimpo City is located in the northwestern part of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, bordering Seoul’s Gangseo District, Incheon’s Gyeyang and Bupyeong Districts, Ganghwa County, Goyang City, and Paju City. To the north, it faces Gaepung County in North Korea across the Han River.

Surrounded by rivers and the West Sea, the city boasts a unique landscape where nature and urban life coexist harmoniously. It is recognised for balancing ecological sustainability with quality of life, and has developed an industrial ecosystem centered on manufacturing, with a concentration of small and medium-sized businesses and the promotion of strategic industries.

Gimpo is also known as the birthplace of rice farming in Korea, preserving a rich agricultural heritage rooted in its long-standing farming culture.

These historical, geographical, and cultural characteristics provide a foundation for Gimpo to grow as a complex cultural city that blends ecology, history, and tourism. With its openness to diverse cultural backgrounds, Gimpo is actively realising its vision as an Intercultural City.

Since 2020, Gimpo City has experienced an average annual increase of 6% in its foreign resident population, making it a leading example of a city actively transitioning from a multicultural city to an intercultural one. As of 2025, approximately 30 000 foreign nationals from over 100 countries reside in Gimpo, accounting for about 5% of the city’s total population of 500 000. This demographic composition reflects Gimpo’s diversity and global character, serving as a vital asset that enhances the city’s vibrancy and creativity.

Gimpo is home to a diverse range of residents, including foreign workers, through marriage, international students, and members of multicultural families.

To support their installation and integration into the local community, the city operates a Foreign Residents Support Center and a Multicultural Family Support Center. These centers provide tailored services such as interpretation and translation, Korean language education, child education support, and community engagement programmes. Gimpo has also implemented pioneering policies, including being the first city in South Korea to send school enrollment guides specifically for foreign children.

Gimpo is a founding member of the Multicultural Cities Council in Korea and has served as its chair city since 2022.  It leads policy sharing and cooperation among 28 member cities and has strengthened its leadership through nationwide initiatives such as overseas training programs for practitioners and policy forums at the National Assembly.

Looking ahead, Gimpo aims to continue fostering mutual understanding and interaction among its citizens as an intercultural city, striving to become an inclusive community where everyone can grow together through international cooperation.