---
title: "ICN is which airport? Seoul"
description: "ICN is Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea. Why the code is ICN and not something you could guess, plus the codes it gets mixed up with."
url: https://atoneplace.net/airport/icn/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What airport is ICN?

**ICN is: Incheon International Airport**

Seoul, South Korea

## Why the code is ICN

InChoN, the city it sits in, 48 km west of Seoul.

The airport authority or a contemporaneous record states this directly.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** ICN
- **ICAO code:** RKSI
- **Airport:** Incheon International Airport
- **City:** Seoul, South Korea
- **Opened:** 2001
- **Code origin:** Documented

Incheon was built on reclaimed land between two islands and consistently ranks at or near the top of global airport service surveys. It has an ice rink, a golf course and a Korean cultural museum airside, all of which exist because a large share of its traffic is transferring and has hours to fill.

## Codes people book by mistake

| Code | What it actually is |
| --- | --- |
| GMP | Gimpo, Seoul's older and much closer airport, now mostly domestic and short-haul regional. |

## The other code, RKSI

Every airport has two codes. The three-letter IATA code, ICN, is the one on your boarding pass and your luggage tag, and it is assigned for commercial use. The four-letter ICAO code, RKSI, is the one pilots and controllers use, and it is assigned geographically: the first letter or two identify the region, so every airport in the same part of the world shares a prefix. That is why RKSI looks nothing like ICN.

## Common questions

### What airport is ICN?

Incheon International Airport, in Seoul, South Korea.

### Why is Seoul's airport called ICN?

InChoN, the city it sits in, 48 km west of Seoul.

### What is the difference between ICN and RKSI?

ICN is the IATA code, used commercially — tickets, timetables, luggage tags. RKSI is the ICAO code, used operationally by pilots and air traffic control, and assigned geographically by region.

### Is ICN the same as GMP?

No. GMP is gimpo, Seoul's older and much closer airport, now mostly domestic and short-haul regional.

## Related pages

- [South Korea](https://atoneplace.net/country/south-korea/)
- [The flag of South Korea](https://atoneplace.net/flag/south-korea/)
- [Airport codes in South Korea](https://atoneplace.net/airport/in/south-korea/)

## Sources

- OurAirports — OurAirports (https://ourairports.com/data/) [Public domain]