Coordinates: 37°29′N 126°38′E / 37.483°N 126.633°E / 37.483; 126.633Incheon (Hangul: 인천; hanja: 仁川; Korean pronunciation: [intɕʰʌn]}}; formerly romanized as Inchon; literally "kind river"), officially the Incheon Metropolitan City, is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi to the east. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today, 2.9 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan. While people have inhabited the area since the New Stone Age, the city's growth was assured in modern times with the development of its port due to its natural advantages as a coastal city and its proximity to the South Korean capital. It is part of the Seoul Capital Area, along with Seoul itself and Gyeonggi Province, forming the world's third largest metropolitan area by population.Incheon has since led the economic development of Korea by opening its port to the outside world, ushering in the modernization of Korea as a center of industrialization. In 2003, the city was designated as Korea’s first free economic zone. Since then, large local companies and global enterprises have increasingly invested in the Incheon Free Economic Zone, including Samsung which chose Songdo International City as its new investment destination for its bio industry.As an international city, Incheon has held numerous large scale international conferences, such as the Incheon Global Fair & Festival in 2009. The 17th Asian Games Incheon 2014 was also held in Incheon on September 19, 2014. Incheon has established itself as a major transportation hub in northeast Asia with the world renowned Incheon International Airport and Incheon Port. The city is also home to the Green Climate Fund, an international organization addressing environmental issues.