Pohang
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Pohang

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Pohang

Pohang (Korean포항; Korean pronunciation: [pʰo.ɦaŋ]), formerly spelled Po-Hang, is the largest city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, with a population of 499,363 as of 2022, bordering the East Sea to the east, Yeongcheon to the west, Gyeongju to the south, and Cheongsong and Yeongdeok to the north.

The city has food, textile, and metal industries. Agricultural products such as grapes, persimmons and garlic chives are abundant, and the city's proximity to the East Sea has led to the development of a fishing industry. Hagfish is a local specialty.

The South Korean Marine Corps 1st Division is stationed in Pohang, and their Education and Training Command is located there as well.

Tourist attractions include the Jukdo Fish Market, where fresh seafood is sold, as well as the Yeongildae Beach, Wolpo Beach, and Pohang Songdo Beach. Naejangsan Mountain divides Pohang and Yeongdeok and has twelve waterfalls.

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) 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.

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.

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