Pohang facts for kids

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Pohang

포항시

Specific city

Korean transcription(s)

• Hangul

포항시

• Hanja

浦項市

• Revised Romanization

Pohang-si

• McCune-Reischauer

P'ohang-si

Pohang by night

Flag

Location in South Korea

Country

South Korea

Region

Yeongnam

Administrative divisions

2 gu, 15 dong, 4 eup, 10 myeon

Area

• Total

1,128.76 km² (435.82 sq mi)

Population

(November, 2022)

• Total

499,363

• Density

442.40/km² (1,145.8/sq mi)

• Dialect

Gyeongsang

Demonym(s)

Pohangite

Time zone

UTC+9 (Korea Standard Time)

Area code(s)

+82-54-2xx

Pohang is a large city in South Korea. It is located in North Gyeongsang Province. As of 2022, nearly 500,000 people live there. The city borders the Sea of Japan to the east.

Pohang is known for its industries. These include food, textiles, and metal. Farmers grow grapes, persimmons, and garlic chives. The city's location by the sea helps its fishing industry. A local favorite food is hagfish.

The Korean Marine Corps has its 1st Division in Pohang. Their training center is also located here. Visitors can enjoy places like Jukdo Fish Market for fresh seafood. There are also beautiful beaches like Yeongildae, Wolpo, and Pohang Songdo. Naejangsan Mountain offers scenic views and twelve waterfalls.

History of Pohang

The first people lived in the Pohang area a very long time ago. This was during the Mumun Pottery Period (1500–300 BC). Archaeologists have found old villages and large stone tombs called dolmen.

In the early 1900s, Pohang was a small fishing village. A modern harbor was built in 1930. This helped the city grow quickly. It became a town (eup) in 1931 and a city (si) in 1949.

Pohang was important during the Korean War. Its roads and port were very useful. In July 1950, UN forces landed here. This was a big operation. The area also saw intense fighting between armies.

By the 1960s, Pohang had about 50,000 people. A major steel company, POSCO, started here in 1968. Their local factory began making steel in 1972. This brought heavy industry to the city. Pohang's economy then focused on iron, steel, shipbuilding, and fishing.

Today, Pohang is looking to the future. It wants to be more than just a heavy industry city. The city is working to become a leader in environmentalism and advanced learning. It also aims to be a center for arts and culture.

Pohang's Geography and Climate

Pohang has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. The average temperature in January, the coldest month, is about 2.2 °C. August is the warmest month, with an average temperature of 26.0 °C.

Pohang gets about 1,152 mm of rain each year. December is the driest month. August is the wettest month, with a lot of rain.

Climate data for Pohang (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1943–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	17.5 (63.5)	24.9 (76.8)	26.9 (80.4)	32.8 (91.0)	36.1 (97.0)	37.7 (99.9)	38.6 (101.5)	39.3 (102.7)	35.9 (96.6)	30.5 (86.9)	28.0 (82.4)	21.5 (70.7)	39.3 (102.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	6.7 (44.1)	9.0 (48.2)	13.3 (55.9)	19.1 (66.4)	23.5 (74.3)	25.8 (78.4)	29.0 (84.2)	29.5 (85.1)	25.5 (77.9)	21.4 (70.5)	15.4 (59.7)	8.9 (48.0)	18.9 (66.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)	2.2 (36.0)	4.3 (39.7)	8.6 (47.5)	14.1 (57.4)	18.6 (65.5)	21.8 (71.2)	25.4 (77.7)	26.0 (78.8)	21.9 (71.4)	16.9 (62.4)	10.6 (51.1)	4.3 (39.7)	14.6 (58.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−1.5 (29.3)	0.2 (32.4)	4.2 (39.6)	9.6 (49.3)	14.4 (57.9)	18.6 (65.5)	22.5 (72.5)	23.3 (73.9)	18.9 (66.0)	13.1 (55.6)	6.6 (43.9)	0.5 (32.9)	10.9 (51.6)
Record low °C (°F)	−14.4 (6.1)	−13.4 (7.9)	−9.9 (14.2)	−2.3 (27.9)	3.7 (38.7)	8.2 (46.8)	10.8 (51.4)	14.0 (57.2)	8.9 (48.0)	0.6 (33.1)	−8.3 (17.1)	−13.1 (8.4)	−14.4 (6.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	39.8 (1.57)	36.5 (1.44)	60.5 (2.38)	81.2 (3.20)	84.6 (3.33)	126.8 (4.99)	200.6 (7.90)	230.2 (9.06)	189.3 (7.45)	76.7 (3.02)	40.1 (1.58)	26.1 (1.03)	1,192.4 (46.94)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)	5.7	5.9	8.5	8.2	8.5	9.7	13.7	13.5	11.3	6.4	6.2	4.7	102.3
Average snowy days	2.1	2.2	1.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	1.5	7.1
Average relative humidity (%)	48.8	50.8	55.4	57.1	64.1	73.9	78.3	78.6	75.3	65.1	57.4	49.9	62.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours	191.4	185.1	203.8	219.3	230.9	189.2	168.5	178.5	160.9	199.7	185.0	191.2	2,303.5
Percent possible sunshine	60.8	57.5	51.2	54.4	51.3	42.0	36.2	40.7	41.5	55.4	59.3	63.0	50.1
Source: Korea Meteorological Administration (percent sunshine 1981–2010)

How Pohang is Organized

Pohang has a mayor who leads the city. There are different offices and departments. These help manage things like administration, economy, welfare, and city planning. They also handle public health, water supply, and cultural centers.

Getting Around Pohang

You can travel to Pohang by train from Seoul and Daegu. The city is also a hub for ferries. These ferries go to islands like Ulleung Island and Liancourt Rocks.

Pohang is home to POSCO, a huge steel company. This means the port is very busy. In 2006, it shipped over 54 million tons of goods.

You can also fly to Pohang. Pohang Gyeongju Airport has flights to Seoul Gimpo Airport and Jeju Airport.

Within the city, buses are the main way to get around. There are about 20 different bus routes. Buses run every 15-25 minutes. You can find bus routes online in Korean and English.

Pohang has two main bus terminals. The Shiwae terminal connects to nearby cities like Daegu and Busan. The Gosok terminal offers express buses to Seoul and Gwangju.

There are also two train stations: Pohang station and Wolpo station. Since 2015, the KTX high-speed train goes directly to Pohang station. You can check train times on the Korail website.

Education in Pohang

Pohang has several places for higher education.

Universities with Graduate Schools

Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
Handong Global University

Other Colleges

Pohang College
Sunlin College

Pohang's Culture

Night view of Pohang

Every summer, thousands of people come to Yeongildae Beach. They gather to watch a spectacular fireworks festival. People travel from all over Korea to see this amazing show.

The Culture & Arts Center opened in 1995. It hosts many performances and art exhibitions. Pohang is also famous for a dried fish called gwamegi. The city holds an annual Gwamegi Festival in November. This festival lets people experience old Korean traditions.

Museums to Visit

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 and Memorials

Sabang Memorial Park
Saemaul Memorial Hall
New Millennium Memorial Hall

Villages to Explore

Deokdong Culture Village
Duksil Village
Sangok-ri

Fun Experiences

Botanical Garden of Gyeongsangbukdo
Yeonorang Seonyeo Theme Park
Key-Chungsan Botanical Garden
Yeongilman Cruise
Pohang Ship Experience

Other Important Places

Posco
Pohang Accelerator Laboratory
Korea Institute of Robotics & Technology Convergence

Industry in Pohang

Pohang is a major center for the steel and metal industry. POSCO is one of the largest steel producers in the world. Many other related businesses are also located here.

Sports in Pohang

Pohang Steel Yard Football Stadium

Pohang is home to the Pohang Steelers. This is a professional football team that plays in K League 1. The city also has the Pohang Baseball Stadium. The Samsung Lions baseball team sometimes uses it as their second home stadium.

Places to See in Pohang

The Jukdo Market is a big, busy traditional market. It is close to the city center and the port. This market is famous across Korea for its fresh seafood. You can find many restaurants selling raw fish here. The fish is often cheaper than in Seoul or Daegu.

Bukbu Beach is in the northern part of the city. It has many shops, restaurants, and places to stay. North of the city, you can find other beaches like Chilpo and Wolpo.

Homigot is a piece of land that sticks out into the Sea of Japan. It is one of the easternmost points in Korea. Thousands of people gather here every New Year's Day. They come to see Korea's first sunrise. The beach also has a sculpture called 'Hands of Harmony'.

Bogyeongsa is a large Buddhist temple. It is located in a beautiful valley at the foot of Mount Naeyeon. You can find Yeonsan Waterfall nearby. There are also hiking trails that lead from the temple into the mountains.

Oeosa is another temple in the southern part of Pohang. It is in a valley at the foot of Mt. Unjae. Signs at Oeosa say that a famous monk named Wonhyo founded the temple.

Space Walk is a unique art installation. It looks like a roller coaster that you can walk on. It was built by POSCO from 317 tons of steel. The Space Walk opened in 2021 in Hwanho Park.

Famous People from Pohang

Lee Myung-bak, a former South Korean President
Lee Ho-yang (known as Shinsadong Tiger), a music producer
Chan Sung Jung, a UFC fighter
Song Ji-hyo, an actress and TV star
Ray, from the boy band C-Clown
Lee Dong-gook, a soccer player
JinE (Shin Hye-jin), former member of the girl band Oh My Girl
Lee Chaeyoung, from the girl band Fromis 9
Kang Yeosang (Yeosang), from the boy band ATEEZ
Yoo Seung-ho, an actor
Lee Jaehyeong (Jaehyeong), from the rock band The Rose
Kim Yong-seung (Yongseung), from the boy band VERIVERY
Bae Sumin (Sumin), leader of the girl band STAYC

Shopping in Pohang

The main shopping area is between Yukgeori and Ogeori. These are two big intersections. There's also a shopping area along a streamlet boardwalk. You can find many stores, restaurants, and bars there.