44-Day Summer Season Concludes: Pohang Closes All Eight Designated Beaches on the 24th

Songdo Beach Reopens After 18 Years, Reviving Memories for Pohang Citizens
Shark and Jellyfish Nets Installed,
Zero Fatalities Achieved... Realizing a "Safe Beach"

The city of Pohang announced on the 25th that it had officially closed all eight designated beaches-Yeongildae, Songdo, Hwajin, Chilpo, Wolpo, Guryongpo, Dogu, and Sinchang-on the 24th, after operating them for 44 days since their opening on July 12.

This year, Songdo Beach, which reopened for the first time in 18 years following the restoration of its sandy shore, hosted a variety of events, including the Sea City Hall completion and opening ceremony, the Pohang Beach Song Festival, and the Songdo Beach Retro Festival, marking a vibrant revival of the beloved beach from memories past.

At Yeongildae Beach, the installation of the “Tower of Light”-Pohang’s new marine tourism landmark-further enhanced the coastal scenery and nighttime tourism offerings. Unique programs such as the Sand Festival’s large-scale sand sculpture exhibition, drone light shows, EDM festivals, and late-night SEA-nema screenings attracted enthusiastic responses from both young visitors and families.

Each beach also offered its own distinctive experiences and performances. Dogu and Hwajin featured clam-catching activities, Guryongpo hosted a bare-handed squid catching event, and Chilpo held a beach art festival and magic concert, providing a diverse array of entertainment for vacationers.

The city placed particular emphasis on safety management. Shark and jellyfish nets were installed at all beaches, lifeguards worked in 24-hour shifts, and joint monitoring was conducted by firefighters, police officers, and public officials, resulting in a “safe beach” season with no fatalities.

This summer, approximately 150,000 people visited Pohang’s designated beaches, with Guryongpo Beach drawing the largest crowd at around 47,000 visitors. However, the total number of visitors decreased compared to last year’s 210,000.

In Pohang, the number of citizens and tourists visiting the beaches at night-when the heat subsided-significantly increased due to attractions such as the drone light show and EDM performances at Yeongildae and the nighttime festival at Chilpo. However, official visitor statistics only counted bathers during operating hours, so the nighttime crowds were not reflected in the data.

The city expects that visitors will continue to come even after the official closure due to the prolonged heatwave during the open season. To ensure safety, Pohang plans to install closure banners and deploy guidance staff at each beach.

Mayor Lee Kangdeok stated, “We did our utmost to expand infrastructure and provide a variety of attractions and activities so that citizens and tourists could enjoy a safer and more enjoyable summer at Pohang’s beaches this year. We will continue our efforts to establish Pohang as a marine culture and tourism city that people want to visit again.”