"Light of Mutual Prosperity, Creating Beauty Together"
Over 50,000 Gather at Homigot, the Easternmost Point of the Korean Peninsula, to Celebrate the First Sunrise
This Year's Four-Character Idiom "Wiminchungjeong" Symbolizes a 2026 Dedicated Wholeheartedly to Citizens
Mayor Lee Kangdeok Hopes Everyone Receives the Hopeful Energy of the First Sunrise at Homigot
On the first day of the Year of Byeongo, the sun rose over Homigot, shining its light equally on everyone.
On New Year's Day 2026, the first sunrise carrying the hopes of 50,000 people gathered at Homigot in Pohang, the easternmost point of the Korean Peninsula, rose powerfully into the sky.
The 28th Homigot Korean Sunrise Festival, hosted and organized by Pohang City and the Pohang Cultural Foundation and sponsored by Gyeongsangbuk-do Province and iM Bank, was held with great success at the Homigot Sunrise Square to celebrate the beautiful sunrise.
This year's festival, under the theme "Light of Mutual Prosperity, Creating Beauty Together," featured a variety of sunrise programs that allowed citizens and visitors to share in both the end and the beginning of the year.
The event began at 11 p.m. on December 31 with a pre-festival performance, followed by a New Year's countdown and multimedia show that heightened the atmosphere. In the early morning of January 1, the official sunrise ceremony took place, including New Year's greetings, the introduction of a four-character idiom, and celebratory performances, marking the start of the new year.
Of particular note was the announcement of Pohang City's four-character idiom for the Year of Byeongo: "Wiminchungjeong" (爲民忠情), meaning "devotion to the people." This phrase reflects the importance of citizens and expresses the city's wish to dedicate itself wholeheartedly to its people throughout 2026.
At around 7:33 a.m., under a sky tinged red by the dawn, the first sunrise of the year was accompanied by the traditional tightrope performance "2026, Stepping into the New Year," creating a spectacular scene and bringing the official ceremony to a successful close.
In addition, a variety of side events such as the Sunrise Mask Play Area, New Year's Fortune Zone, Art Wall Drawing, Homigotgan Pop-up Store, and photo zones were offered, allowing families to enjoy a rich and memorable first day of the year.
The media facade show utilizing the lighthouse of the nation's only National Lighthouse Museum combined the symbolism of Homigot with modern visual technology, leaving a deep impression on visitors. The stage program "Homigot Beomgut," a modern reinterpretation of a traditional ritual, wished for the well-being and harmony of the community and was met with great enthusiasm from citizens and tourists alike.
During the event, Pohang City deployed a total of 649 safety personnel, including related agencies and volunteers, and opened the Millennium Memorial Hall and Homigotgan (formerly the Premium Hall) as shelters against the cold. Large TFS tents were installed, and safety was further reinforced through the operation of a safety control tower and real-time CCTV monitoring of the square, coastline, and major crowded areas.
Additionally, traffic personnel were stationed at major intersections and a traffic information center was operated to manage vehicle flow, while measures such as monitoring street vendors and guiding against illegal parking were implemented before and after the event to prevent safety accidents.
Mayor Lee Kangdeok stated, "The Homigot Korean Sunrise Festival is Pohang's representative event for sharing the start of the new year with citizens," adding, "I hope everyone receives the hopeful energy of the first sunrise at Homigot in an environment of thorough safety management."
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