Pohang City Holds Welcome Reception to Wish Success for Gyeongbuk Provincial Sports Festival

Before the Opening Ceremony, Domestic and Foreign Guests Welcomed with Pohang Specialty Products

The official website of the 60th Gyeongbuk Provincial Sports Festival.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] On the 15th, Pohang City in Gyeongbuk held a welcome reception for domestic and foreign guests visiting to wish for the success of the 60th Gyeongbuk Provincial Sports Festival as a place of unity and celebration for the 3 million residents of Gyeongbuk, ahead of the opening ceremony at Pohang Gymnasium.

The event was attended by about 400 people, including Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-deok, Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, 23 other mayors and county heads, chairpersons, and key figures from various sectors. Mayor Lee Kang-deok personally welcomed the distinguished guests, expressing deep gratitude and warm greetings.

The welcome reception began with a congratulatory performance by ‘Zenith,’ a mixed-gender a cappella group at the pinnacle of Korean popular a cappella, followed by the national ceremony, introduction of guests, welcome speeches, greetings, congratulatory addresses, cake cutting, toasts, refreshments, and conversations.

The refreshments served that day were presented in eco-friendly containers symbolizing Pohang’s Greenway trail and featured dishes made from locally produced ingredients such as Mulhoe (cold raw fish soup), monkfish, Pohang chive, Pohang spinach (Pohangcho), Haemaji bread, Dalmaji bread, and Guryongpo octopus. These were paired with traditional Cheongju rice wine from Cheongseuldo Brewery, representing Pohang, adding special meaning to the welcome for the distinguished visitors. All cooking and food plating, aside from ingredient costs, were voluntarily prepared by the Yeongilman Tourist Special Zone Council.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok said, “This Gyeongbuk Provincial Sports Festival is the first large-scale event held after COVID-19 and a meaningful competition held again in Pohang after 12 years since 2010. Under the slogan ‘Dream of East Sea Pohang, from Gyeongbuk to the World,’ I hope this will be the starting point filled with the united passion of all city and county athletes coming together as one.”