[One Day 10,000 Characters] Pohang Expands Green Space Equivalent to 95 Soccer Fields

'Cheolgil Sup' on the Abandoned Donghae Nambu Line Railroad Site
'Barefoot 30 Seon' Featuring Forests, Sea, and Unique Scenery

Pohang City, which has expanded green spaces equivalent to 95 soccer fields, is aiming to transform into a healthy city ideal for walking.

This year, Pohang City has adopted key slogans including ▲Carbon-Free Walking City - Urban Green Road ▲Korea’s Best - Pohang Manbal Road ▲Embracing Mountains and Sea - Rest, Eco Road. The plan is to create green pedestrian paths connecting various parts of the city centered around the Cheolgilsup (Railroad Forest), and to establish a pedestrian-focused street called 'Green Walk' along Posco-daero, which extends eastward from the Cheolgilsup.

Since 2016, Pohang City has been expanding various 'green welfare' infrastructures based on three pillars: the sea, mountains, and the urban area, including the Cheolgilsup, fine dust-blocking urban forests, coastal trails, and natural recreation forests. The goal is to transform the entire city into a healthy city that is pleasant to walk in. Through the Greenway Project initiated the same year, green spaces totaling 670,000㎡ have also been expanded. Since 2017, the city has promoted the '20 Million Trees Planting Campaign' with citizens, planting 18.51 million trees to date, adding vitality to the city.

The flagship project, Cheolgilsup, is a linear urban forest that has given new life to the abandoned Donghae Nambu Line railway site. A total length of 9.3 km has been developed from Uhyun-dong, Buk-gu, Pohang, near Yuseong Girls’ High School to Yugang Water Purification Plant. With the completion of the Sangsaeng Forest Path pedestrian bridge in October last year, citizens can now easily access areas south of the Hyeongsan River.

This year, the city will complete the restoration project of the urban stream 'Haksancheon,' establishing another pedestrian axis. Health-promoting walking culture and an eco-friendly city image will be fostered by creating yellow soil paths in Songdo and Haedo, while community building among neighbors through barefoot walking will also be encouraged. Additionally, the city safely manages 668 km of mountain forest trails within Pohang and promotes a healthy hiking culture by connecting disconnected trails through the 'Sotijae Section Pedestrian Bridge Installation' project. The full opening of the 112 km coastal trail will connect the city’s mountains, rivers, and sea with walkable paths.

Pohang’s '30 Manbal Roads,' featuring diverse characteristics such as urban forests, neighborhood parks, sea, and reservoirs, are gaining popularity by word of mouth. In 2022, to create a 'Barefoot Walking-Friendly City Pohang,' the city designated 30 locations including Songdo Pine Forest, Heunghae Bukcheon Water, Gigaeseo Forest, and Hyeongsan Riverside as Manbal 30 Roads. To ensure safe barefoot walking, continuous maintenance and management of the walking surfaces are carried out, along with the expansion of various convenience facilities such as foot washing stations and air guns.

The Manbal 30 Roads selected by Pohang City highlight the region’s unique characteristics where the sea, river, and mountains harmonize, offering outstanding views of the East Sea and Hyeongsan River. The barefoot paths also include forests dense with large trees, making them highly regarded as tourist attractions.