Pohang City Challenges for 'Complex Marine Leisure Tourism City' Contest... Gathering Citizens' Opinions

Gyeongbuk Province and Pohang Hold Residents' Briefing for 'Complex Marine Leisure Tourism City' Public Contest Project
Urban-Type Marine Tourism Specialization and MICE Industry Linkage Expected to Create Synergy

Pohang City has begun gathering broad consensus and collecting opinions from the local community ahead of promoting a public contest project to create a 'Complex Marine Leisure Tourism City'.

On the 24th, Pohang City held a residents' briefing session related to the creation of a 'Complex Marine Leisure Tourism City' at the Songdo-dong Administrative Welfare Center Lifelong Learning Education Hall. Photo by Pohang City

On the 24th, the city held a residents' briefing session at the Songdo-dong Administrative Welfare Center Lifelong Learning Education Center regarding the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' public contest project for the creation of a 'Complex Marine Leisure Tourism City'.

The briefing was attended by representatives from the Pohang Culture and Tourism Association, Pohang Sports Council, the marine leisure tourism industry, local residents of the Yeongilman Tourism Special Zone, and the Gyeongbuk Provincial Marine Leisure Tourism Division. During the session, they shared information about the Ministry's public contest project, discussed plans, and listened to voices from the field.

The 'Complex Marine Leisure Tourism City' public contest project is a 1 trillion KRW national project that aims to foster Korea's leading marine leisure tourism city by attracting new private investment to regions already equipped with resort and tourism infrastructure.

Regions that have secured more than 800 billion KRW in private investment can apply as project districts, and if selected in June, about 100 billion KRW in national funding will be provided.

The city is focusing its efforts on the Yeongilman Tourism Special Zone, an urban-type marine tourism destination, as the project district for this public contest. So far, it has concentrated its administrative capabilities on operating a working-level task force, establishing and operating an Advanced Marine R&D Center, hosting international marine leisure competitions, and attracting large-scale private investment.

The city plans to comprehensively review the opinions gathered at this residents' briefing and submit the application for the public contest to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in cooperation with Gyeongbuk Province by the end of April.

After evaluation in May, two locations nationwide are expected to be selected as final project sites for the Complex Marine Leisure Tourism City public contest in June.

Son Jeongho, Director of the Marine and Fisheries Bureau, said, "The marine leisure tourism city development project is a key pillar for fostering Pohang's future strategic industries and driving balanced regional development," and added, "We will continue to communicate closely with citizens and make thorough preparations for the public contest project."

Pohang City is constructing the Pohang International Exhibition Convention Center (POEX), which will become the hub of the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry in the Yeongilman Tourism Special Zone, the city's central area, to achieve the goal of becoming a '10 Million Glocal Tourism City'.

In addition, the city is working to attract the construction of luxury hotels in the Yeongildae and Hwanho districts to establish a foundation for stay-type tourism. If selected for the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' public contest project, the synergy in the local tourism industry is expected to be maximized.