Held at Dongbin Culture Warehouse 1969 and Yeongildae Beach Area Until November 9
Pohang, the City Where Steel Becomes Art
A Festival Stage Created Directly by Its Citizens
Participation from Steel Companies Including POSCO, Jeil Technos, and Dongkuk Steel
Collaboration Between Art and Industry
The Pohang Cultural Foundation (CEO Lee Sangmo) announced that the "2025 Pohang Steel Art Festival," themed "Light and Steel," opened in grand style on the 25th at Dongbin Culture Warehouse 1969.
This year's festival reinterprets steel as a language of art, expanding beyond the traditional focus on sculpture to include humanities, technology, and citizen participation.
The event will run until November 9 at Dongbin Culture Warehouse 1969 and around Yeongildae Beach.
The opening ceremony began with a performance by the Posphilharmonic Orchestra, comprised of employees and families from POSCO and its partner companies, as well as a performance by the Pine Tree Children's Choir from Duho Elementary School. The harmony of steel from the industrial city and the music of its citizens created a moving stage symbolizing both the present and future of Pohang.
The 14th edition of the "2025 Pohang Steel Art Festival," themed "Light and Steel," opened on the 25th at Dongbin Cultural Warehouse 1969.
More than 100 people attended the event, including Lee Gangdeok, Mayor of Pohang, members of the National Assembly, the Chairperson of Pohang City Council, participating artists, corporate representatives, and figures from the local art community, all celebrating the opening of the festival.
Attendees viewed a variety of steel artworks, including "Solaris: The Path of the Sun and Moon," and works by artists from the "Munyecheol Collective," experiencing firsthand the new possibilities for urban culture where industrial technology and art converge.
In particular, the "Munyecheol Collective," featuring leading Korean artists such as designer Ahn Sangsoo, philosopher and curator Lee Seop, sculptors Jung Hyun and Lee Woongbae, and novelist Kim Hoon, explored the relationship between steel, humanity, and the city, offering a new interpretation of Pohang's identity.
Additionally, local steel companies such as POSCO, Jeil Technos, Dongkuk Steel, and the Pohang Steel Industry Complex Management Corporation participated, demonstrating collaboration between art and industry. Public art projects like "Art Plan," "Art Fence," and "Solaris: The Path of the Sun and Moon" received enthusiastic responses from citizens.
A wide range of citizen participation programs are also available. These include "Cheolcheol Workshop," an exhibition-linked hands-on program; the "Steel Art Workshop" with artists; and the "Cheolcheol Forum," an academic forum discussing the future of steel, art, and the city.
Other interactive programs, such as docent tours, stamp tours, and city tours connecting the history and art of steel, allow both citizens and tourists to experience Pohang as a city of steel art firsthand.
Mayor Lee Gangdeok stated, "I am grateful to the steel companies and citizens who have continuously contributed to the festival's meaning over the past 14 years, even amid the challenges facing the steel industry. I hope this festival will help shape the future of Pohang as a city where industry and art grow together."
A representative from the Pohang Cultural Foundation commented, "This year's Pohang Steel Art Festival is a celebration where industry, art, and citizens come together to create a new cultural identity for Pohang. We hope that through 'Light and Steel,' Pohang will establish itself as a global city of art."
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