‘Pohang Soars with the New Year's Sunrise!’ … Over 30,000 Visit Homigot for Sunrise Viewing
First Normal Event in 4 Years, Praised as a ‘Safe Festival’ with Thorough Safety Management System
This Year’s Four-Character Idiom ‘Yakjindaemang’:
In the year of Gapjin 2024, the year of the Blue Dragon guarding the east among the Four Guardian Spirits, over 30,000 people gathered at Homigot, the easternmost point of the Korean Peninsula.
Hosted and organized by Pohang City and the Pohang Cultural Foundation, and sponsored by DGB Daegu Bank and Nampo Pohang Nonghyup, the “26th Homigot Korean New Year Sunrise Festival” was held at Homigot Plaza for the first time in four years since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to weather conditions, it was unfortunately difficult to see the brightly shining Blue Dragon year, but over 30,000 tourists visited Homigot to make their New Year wishes.
This year’s event operated various sunrise programs under the theme “Dragon’s Ascension, Pohang as the Central City of the East Sea Rising Together.” Starting with the “New Year’s Grand Drum Performance” at 6:45 a.m. on the 1st, the event continued with New Year greetings, readings of four-character idioms, and various performances.
In particular, the four-character idiom announced for Pohang City in the Gapjin year, “Yakjin Daemang (躍進大望),” means “to advance vigorously with a great ambition,” symbolizing the collective spirit of the 500,000 citizens of Pohang to move forward strongly with one heart and one mind toward a hopeful future for Pohang.
At 7:33 a.m., congratulatory helicopter flights were conducted by the Navy Aviation Command and the Marine Corps Aviation Unit, and from 8 a.m., a musical popera performance lasted about an hour, successfully concluding the official event.
Additionally, various side events themed around dragons were prepared. These included the Blue Dragon Counseling Center, a warm shelter where visitors could also receive New Year fortune readings; the Homigot Market filled with various experience booths and specialty product sales; New Year rice cake soup sharing prepared in meal kit form; and a food market, all providing diverse content to delight citizens’ eyes and ears.
Especially in terms of safety, thorough and meticulous management was implemented. Instead of large tents vulnerable to strong winds and cold waves, container booths were installed throughout the venue to enhance safety. Traffic personnel were deployed at major intersections, and a traffic information center was operated to ensure smooth vehicle flow in real time.
Moreover, about 1,500 more parking spaces than the previous year were secured to improve convenience for tourists. Safety measures were taken in various fields to prevent accidents, including crackdowns on street vendors near the venue before and after the event and guidance against illegal parking that obstructed traffic flow.
Safety measures against crowd congestion during the event were also flawlessly carried out. A disaster safety situation room and control tower were installed in the center of the venue to analyze population density instantly and provide real-time announcements via speakers. Safety personnel equipped with light sticks and megaphones were stationed in crowded areas to prevent accidents in advance.
Mayor Lee Kang-deok said, “The Homigot Korean New Year Sunrise Festival prepared for the 2024 New Year sunrise was safely and successfully concluded,” and added, “I hope everyone receives the vigorous energy of Pohang ascending toward the future with the majestic power of the Blue Dragon in the Gapjin year.”
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