Pohang () is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in the province of
North Gyeongsang,
South Korea, and a main
seaport in the
Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the
alluvium of the mouth of the
Hyeongsan River. The city is divided into two wards (
''gu''), Buk-gu or Northern Ward () and Nam-gu or Southern Ward ().
This city has the largest population of
North Gyeongsang Province and it has the third-largest land area of any city (
''si'') in South Korea.
History
The earliest evidence of human occupation in the Pohang area is from the
Mumun Pottery Period (1500–300 BC). Archaeologists have unearthed small villages and megalithic burials (
dolmen
A dolmen () or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the early Neolithic (40003000 BCE) and were somet ...
) from this period. Still a small fishing village at the dawn of the 20th century, the earliest steps toward developing Pohang into a place of greater significance were taken in 1930 with the construction of a modern harbour. Pohang grew rapidly afterward, attaining the designation of town (
''eup'') in 1931 and then earning the status of city (
''si'') in 1949.
[WPS - Port of Pohang contact information](_blank)
Worldportsource.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
Pohang's road arteries and shipping port made it a place of strategic significance during the
Korean War. An unopposed landing of UN forces at Pohang on July 18, 1950 was the first large-scale amphibious operation since World War II, and the region around Pohang saw
fierce clashes between South Korea's
3rd Infantry Division and North Korea's
5th Infantry Division during August–September 1950.
By the 1960s, Pohang was a small coastal city with a population of 50,000. The next major development in Pohang's growth came in 1968 with the inauguration of the steel maker
POSCO, and the local plant's commencement of production in 1972. The introduction of
heavy industry to the city brought the local economy to a blend of iron, steel, shipbuilding and fisheries through the end of the 20th century.
The early 21st century and the age of
globalization has brought new economic challenges to companies such as POSCO, giving rise to beliefs that Pohang would be wise to not be overly reliant on heavy industry to maintain its prosperity. In response, the Pohang of today presents itself as having an eye to the future, striving to become a diversified city of
environmentalism and advanced learning, as well as a centre of arts and culture.
During the
Silla Dynasty the area was made up of four ''
hyeon
Korea's provinces ('' Do''; hangul: 도; hanja: ) have been the primary administrative division of Korea since the mid Goryeo dynasty in the early 11th century, and were preceded by provincial-level divisions (''Ju'' and ''Mok'') dating back to U ...
'', Toehwa-hyeon (), Jidap-hyeon (), Geunoji-hyeon (), Haea-hyeon (). Then during the
Goryeo Dynasty these four were renamed to Heunghae-
gun (흥해군/), Janggi-hyeon (), Yeongil-hyeon (), Cheongha-hyeon () respectively.
On 4 August 1896, the three remaining ''hyeon'', which at that time were Janggi, Yeonil (; originally Yeongil) and Cheongha were reassigned as counties or ''
gun'' as part of the change to the 13-province division of the
Korean Empire
The Korean Empire () was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by Emperor Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire stood until Japan's annexation of Korea in August 1910.
During the Korean Empire, Emperor Gojong oversaw the Gwa ...
.
On 1 March 1914, the four counties were unified as one Yeongil-gun (), which was subdivided into 18 ''
myeons''.
On 1 April 1931, Pohang-myeon () was designated as an ''
eup'', thus giving Yeongil-gun 1 eup and 17 myeon.
On 1 April 1934, Jukbuk-myeon () and Juknam-myeon () were united to make Jukjang-myeon (), while Janggi-myeon () and Bongsan-myeon () united to make Jihaeng-myeon (), so that there were 1 eup and 15 myeon.
On 1 October 1938, Hyeongsan-myeon () was incorporated into Pohang-eup, leaving Yeongil-gun with 1 eup and 14 myeon.
On 1 October 1942 Changju-myeon () was renamed and reclassified as Guryongpo-eup (구룡포읍/九龍浦邑), leaving 2 eup and 13 myeon.
On 15 August 1949, Pohang-eup was designated as Pohang-
''si'' (), leaving Yeongil with 1 si, 1 eup, 13 myeon and 1 local office.
On 8 July 1956, Heunghae-myeon () and Gokgang-myeon () are incorporated into Uichang-myeon () leaving 1 si, 1 eup and 12 myeon.
On 29 October 1957, Daljeon-myeon () is abolished and incorporated into Heunghae-myeon and Yeonil-myeon () leaving 1 si, 1 eup and 11 myeons.
On 1 March 1967, the Gibuk Local Office () of Gigye-myeon (기계면/) is established.
On 1 July 1973, Uichang-myeon is designated as Uichang-eup () leaving 1 si, 2 eup, 10 myeon and 3 local offices.
On 1 December 1980, Yeonil-myeon and Ocheon-myeon () are both designated as eup leaving 1 si, 4 eup, 8 myeon and 3 local offices.
On 1 September 1982, Haedo-dong () and Sangdae-dong () are separated into Haedo 1 and 2-dong and Sangdae 1 and 2-dong respectively.
On 1 April 1986, Daebo Local Office () and Gibuk Local Office are designated as myeon leaving 1 si, 4 eup, 10 myeon and 1 local office.
On 1 January 1995, a united Pohang-si absorbs all of Yeongil-gun, composed of 1 si, 2 gu, 4 eup, 10 myeon, 25 dong and 1 local office.
On 1 September 1998, the unification of Small-dong left Pohang with 1 si, 2 gu, 4 eup, 10 myeon, 19 dong and 1 local office.
On 1 January 2009, the unification of Small-dong left Pohang with 1 si, 2 gu, 4 eup, 10 myeon, 15 dong and 1 local office.
Geography and climate
Under the
Köppen climate classification, Pohang has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(''Cfa'').
The mean temperature in the coldest month, January, is relatively mild at 1.8 °C. The warmest month is August, when the mean temperature is 25.7 °C. On average, Pohang receives 1,152 mm of precipitation per year. The driest month is December, when the city receives a scant 25.7 mm of precipitation on average. However, the mean amount of precipitation for the wettest month, August, is 227.4 mm.
Administrative Organization
* Head office: 1 head office, 4 office, 6 team, 25 department
* Executive office: 1 office 7 experts
* Direct organizations: three centers and six departments
* Business offices: 11 offices and 7 departments
* Nam-gu and Buk-gu office: 12 departments Eup, Myeon and Dong: 4 Eup, 10 Myeon and 15 Dong
* (The number of public officials: 1,960)
*Mayor
*Globalization strategy headquarter
*Self-governing Administration Bureau
*Economy & Industries Bureau
*Welfare environment office
*Construct and Urban Planning Bureau
*Nam-gu & Buk-gu Public Health Centers
*Agricultural Technology Center
*Construction Environment Office
*Water Supply Office
*Other Centers
Culture & Arts Center
Municipal library
Municipal art gallery
Agricultural product wholesale market management office
Women's culture center
Park management office
Vehicle Registration Office
Transportation
The city is served by several trains a day from
Seoul and
Daegu
Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea.
It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...
. Pohang is the terminus for a number of ferry routes serving the adjacent
Sea of Japan, including the main tourist route for
Ulleung Island
Ulleungdo (also spelled Ulreungdo; Hangul: , ) is a South Korean island 120 km (75 mi) east of the Korean Peninsula in the Sea of Japan, formerly known as the Dagelet Island or Argonaut Island in Europe.
Volcanic in origin, the rocky s ...
and
Liancourt Rocks.
Pohang is the home of
POSCO (the Pohang Steel Company), one of the largest steel producers in the world, and a host of related industries. As a result, the port shipped a total of 54.8 million tons in 2006.
Several flights per day to Seoul
Gimpo Airport and
Jeju Airport are available at
Pohang Gyeongju Airport.
Local transportation is served by only city buses. They run about 20 different ways of the city and some of them reach to the mountain folk. Also, the buses are classified into 2 kinds – one is Ilban-bus (normal bus) and the other is Jwaseok-bus (full of seats and a little more expensive than Ilban-bus). They run 15~25 minutes intervals along their own way. The bus routes are listed in bot
Korean an
Englishbut the Korean version is interactive, and thus more helpful.
There are two main bus terminals - Shiwae (시외) and Gosok (고속) which roughly translate into intercity/city and express. The Shiwae bus terminal (시외버스터미널) also acts as the cross-country bus terminal from which access to nearby metropolitan cities such as Daegu and Busan (~1.5 hrs each depending on traffic) is available. Thei
websiteis only in Korean and only accessible in Internet Explorer. The Gosok bus terminal (고속버스터미널
websiteis in both English and Korean. From Gosok bus terminal one can travel to Seoul, Gwangju, and Daejeon.
Pohang is also serviced by two train stations -
Pohang station (포항역) and Wolpo station (월포역). Times and destinations are available on th
Korail websitewhich is in English and Korean.
Passengers using the
KTX
Korea Train eXpress (), often known as KTX (), is South Korea's high-speed rail system, operated by Korail. Construction began on the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992. KTX services were launched on April 1, 2004.
From Seoul Station the ...
had to go to
Singyeongju Station
Gyeongju station (formerly Singyeongju station) is a station near the city of Gyeongju. It is on the Gyeongbu KTX Line and Donghae Line
The Donghae Line is a railway line connecting Busanjin station to Yeongdeok in South Korea. The literal ...
(신경주역) until 2015. However, since 2015, the
KTX
Korea Train eXpress (), often known as KTX (), is South Korea's high-speed rail system, operated by Korail. Construction began on the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992. KTX services were launched on April 1, 2004.
From Seoul Station the ...
travels directly to
Pohang Station (포항역).
Education
Universities with graduate schools
*
Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
*
Handong Global University
Other institutes of higher education
*Pohang College
*Sunlin College
Health
There are some hospitals to treat people; two types of hospitals exist: public, and private. Public hospitals are run by the government, and supported by the government. Conversely, private hospitals are managed by the individuals. For example, S Pohang hospital is sponsored by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security which means it is supported by the government ("Introduction of the hospital" 1). They provide the treatments of brain disease, and spine disease. For private hospital, Pohang Sunlin Hospital is run by Hyunsu Shin ("Introduction of the head of the hospital" 1).
Culture

Thousands flock to see the
fireworks festival at Yeongildae Beach each summer. People travel from all over the country to watch the show.
The Culture & Arts Center, opened in 1995, holds performances and exhibitions in its various galleries and theaters. Pohang is known for
gwamegi and holds an annual Gwamegi Festival. Gwamegi Festival is available on November annually. In 2015, the festival invited individuals from different ages. Numerous people can enjoy the festival, and the festival is sponsored by banks such a
SuhyeopNonghyeopShinhan an
POSCO During the festival, it is available to experience the old traditional Korean culture such as competing with person who sell
Yeot. Furthermore, many singers from various places including
Philippines are invited to demonstrate their talent to people ("Schedule" 1). In this place, Guryongpo, it is possible to try
Gwamegi, Pidegi which is dried squid, and big crabs ("Information about the products in Guryongpo" 1).
Museums
* Guryongpo Gwamegi Culture Museum
* Guryongpo Modern History Museum
* The National Lighthouse Museum
* Yeongil Folk History Museum
* The Posco Museum
* Pohang Museum Of Steel Art
* Pohang Canal PR Hall
Robo Life Museum
Monuments
* Sabang Memorial Park
* Saemaul Memorial Hall
* New Millennium Memorial Hall
Villages
* Deokdong Culture Village
* Duksil Village
Experiences
* Botanical Garden of Gyeongsangbukdo
* Yeonorang Seonyeo Theme Park
* Key-Chungsan Botanical Garden
* Yeongilman Cruise
* Pohang Ship Experience
Other important spots
* Posco
* Pohang Accelerator Laboratory
* Korea Institute of Robotics & Technology Convergence
Architecture
Historical
* Bogyeongsa Temple
* Oeosa Temple
Sports

The city is home to the
Pohang Steelers
The Pohang Steelers (Hangul: 포항 스틸러스) are a South Korean professional football club based in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province that compete in the K League 1, the top flight of South Korean football. The Steelers were founded on 1 A ...
of
K League 1.
Also, there is the
Pohang Baseball Stadium, which
Samsung Lions
The Samsung Lions () are a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982. They are based in the southeastern city of Daegu and are members of the KBO League. Their home stadium is Daegu Samsung Lions Park. They have won the Korean Champ ...
belonging to
KBO League is using as the second stadium.
Points of interest
The Jukdo Market is a large, bustling traditional market near the centre of the
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
, close to the
port. It is well known throughout Korea as an important seafood market. There are many raw-fish restaurants in the market. The
fish is cheaper here than in
Seoul or
Daegu
Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea.
It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...
.
Bukbu Beach is located in Duho-dong in the northern part of the city's built-up area. The beach front has been the focus of commercial developments such as bars, restaurants, and budget accommodations called ''Yeogwan''. A number of
beaches on the Sea of Japan can be found just north of the built-up area, including Chilpo and Wolpo.
Homigot, a point of land jutting out into the Sea of Japan, is located to the east of urban Pohang in Daebo-myeon. Homigot is one of the easternmost points on the Korean peninsula and as such serves every year as a gathering place for thousands to greet Korea's first sunrise of the New Year. The beach is also home to the 'Hands of Harmony' sculpture.
Bogyeongsa is a major
Buddhist temple
A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represen ...
nestled in a steep green valley at the foot of Mount Naeyeon (710 m) in Songna-myeon, an area in the extreme northern part of Pohang. Yeonsan Waterfall is located nearby in the same mountain valley. There are hiking trails leading from the temple up into the mountains. Bogyeongsa also has a number of mountain hermitages in the vicinity.
Oeosa is a temple located in the extreme southern part of Pohang, just inside the mountains south of the coastal plain formed by the Naengcheon River. It is located at the foot of Mt. Unjae (481 m) in a steep valley in Daesong-myeon. Signs placed in and around Oeosa claim that the temple was founded by
Wonhyo, the well-travelled
Silla monk.
Notable people
*
Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak (; ; ; born 19 December 1941) is a South Korean businessman and politician who served as the 10th president of South Korea from 2008 to 2013. Before his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, and the ma ...
, former
South Korean President
* Lee Ho-yang (known in the West as
Shinsadong Tiger), composer and record producer
*
Chan Sung Jung, mixed martial artist,
UFC fighter.
*
Song Ji-hyo, actress and variety star
* Ray, member of South Korean boy band
C-Clown
*
Lee Dong-gook, soccer player with
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors ( ko, 전북 현대 모터스) is a South Korean professional football club based in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province that competes in the K League 1, the top tier of South Korean football. Playing at the Jeonju World Cup S ...
* JinE (Real Name: ''Shin Hye-jin'',
Hangul: 신혜진), former member of South Korean girl band
Oh My Girl
* Lee Chaeyoung, member of South Korean girl band
Fromis 9
* Kang Yeosang (known as Yeosang), member of South Korean boy band
ATEEZ
*
Yoo Seung-ho, actor in films including
The Way Home
* Lee Jaehyeong (known as Jaehyeong), member of South Korean rock band
The Rose
* Kim Yong-seung (known as Yongseung), member of South Korean boy band
VERIVERY
*Son Min-Soo, a former comedy actor and now a
YouTube creato
Enjoycouple.
* Bae Sumin (known as Sumin), leader of South Korean girl band
STAYC
Shopping
The main downtown shopping area is between Yukgeori (육거리) and Ogeori (오거리) which translate to 6-way intersection and 5-way intersection. The streamlet boardwalk shopping area opens and ends with Pohang Station and Yukgeori, respectively. This shopping area has several stores, restaurants, and a few bars including Converse, Shoemarker, Skin Food, ABC Mart, Redface,
The North Face, a cinema, Starbucks, Mr. Pizza, Whistler Bar, Beethoven Bar, Mindy's Bar, etc.
Groceries
Pohang has a few major grocer stores including two Home Plus locations, two GS Supermarkets, and two E-marts. On
Home Plusis by the Shiwae bus terminal and th
otheris closer to Jukdo Market. Jukdo market is an open market where you can purchase clothes, fish, produce, and a plethora of items. The one GS supermarket is i
Jukdo-dongwhereas the other is i
Duho-dong E-marts are located i
I-dongand i
Indeok-dong
Administrative divisions

Pohang is divided into 2 non-autonomous districts, which in turn is divided into 4 eup, 10 myeon and 15 dong.
Twin towns – sister cities
Pohang is
twinned
Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to:
* In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so;
* Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning
* Twinning inst ...
with:
*
Fukuyama, Japan
*
Hunchun, China
[
* İzmit, Turkey
* Jōetsu, Japan]
* Pittsburg, United States
* Vladivostok, Russia
Friendly cities
Pohang is cooperating with:
* North Shore City, New Zealand (August 2008)
* Zhangjiagang, China
See also
* 2017 Pohang earthquake
* Beopgwangsa
Beopgwangsa is a temple located in Pohang
Pohang () is a city in the province of North Gyeongsang, South Korea, and a main seaport in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hye ...
* List of cities in South Korea
* Wongaksa (Gigye, Pohang)
References
References 2
* Jump up
포항공항
Pohang Airport Website)
고객센터
Service Center)
공지사항
Announcement)
포항공항 휴지기간 공지
Announcement about the pause of Pohang Airport)
* Jump up
포항공항
Pohang Airport Website)
운항현황
Flight Situation)
실시간 운항정보
Information about current flight available)
* Jump up
시설관리공단
Organization which manage facilities)
포항야구장
(Pohang Baseball Stadium)
시설소개
Introduction about the facility)
* Jump up
메인
main website) > �
Home)
작은뉴스
Jakeun News)
* Jump up
과메기 포항구룡포
Gwamegi Pohang Guryongpo)
구룡포 특산물
Products in Guryongpo)
* Jump up
에스포항병원
S Pohang Hospital)
병원소개
Introduction of the hospital)
* Jump up
Sunlin Hospital)
Introduction of the hospital)
Introduction of the head of the hospital)
* Jump up
대한민국 해병대
Marine in South Korea)
해병대모집
gathering people)
모병문의처
Inquiry for each locals)
* Jump up
대한민국 해병대
Marine in South Korea)
해병대모집
gathering people)
지원 FAQ
Enrolling FAQ)
External links
*
City government website
Official Pohang Airport website
The website that shows the lists of the games that will be hosted in Pohang Baseball Stadium
The website of the news
The main website of S Pohang Hospital
The official website of Marine in South Korea
Citation
"Announcement about the Pause of Pohang Airport." Pohang Airport. Governor of Pohang, 17 Feb. 2016. Web.
"포항공항(Pohang Airport)." 실시간 운항정보(Flights in Real Time). N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
"포항야구장(Pohang Baseball Stadium)." 시설소개. 시설관리공단(Organization That Manages Facility), n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
Kim, Minje. "전체기사(Whole Articles)." 전체기사(Whole Articles). Jakeun News, 16 Dec. 2015. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
Kim, Jumdol. "구룡포 과메기 축제(Guryongpo Gwamegi Festival)." 구룡포 과메기 축제(Guryongpo Gwamegi Festival). Jumdol Kim, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
"보건복지부 인증 전문병원-에스포항병원(뇌센터, 척추센터)!! :: 병원소개(S Pohang Hospital Introduction of the Hospital)." 보건복지부 인증 전문병원-에스포항병원(뇌센터, 척추센터)!! :: 병원소개(S Pohang Hospital Introduction of the Hospital). Executives and Staff Members, Dec. 2008. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
Shin, Hyunsu. "병원장 인사말(Introduction by the Head of the Hospital)." Sunlin Hospital. Hyunsu Shin, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
"지역별 문의처(Inquiry for Locals)." Marine in South Korea. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
"지원 FAQ(enrolling FAQ)." Marine in South Korea. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
{{Authority control
Pohang,
Cities in North Gyeongsang Province
Port cities and towns in South Korea