Pohang City Accelerates Master Plan for Nation's First Complex Marine Leisure Tourism City

Kickoff Meeting Held on the 26th... Strengthening Executability Through Public-Private Governance Cooperation
Draft Master Plan to Be Prepared by the End of May, Encompassing Core Coastal Areas Beyond the Yeongilman Tourism Special Zone

Pohang City, which was selected last year as the first city in the country to host the "Complex Marine Leisure Tourism City Development Project," has begun in earnest to establish a basic plan to technically flesh out the project and secure its executability.

Pohang City announced that on the 26th it held a "Kickoff Meeting for the Service to Establish the Basic Plan for the Complex Marine Leisure Tourism City Development Project" in the small conference room at City Hall, with Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, Pohang Technopark, private investment firms, and local experts in attendance.

Exterior view of Pohang City Hall

The meeting was attended by relevant departments of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province and Pohang City, as well as private investors such as Pohang Technopark and luxury hotels, along with local experts and representatives of tourism-related organizations and companies.

In addition, representatives from Ara Engineering Group, POSCO A&C, and Raum Group, which are the institutions commissioned to carry out the basic plan service, were also present.

Since the launch of the governance body in November last year, the city has collected a wide range of opinions through a total of 15 sessions, including roundtable meetings, site visits, and expert consultations. At the meeting, it presented the progress made so far and the main proposals.

In January this year, the city held a roundtable with local merchants and local companies to identify on-site needs and, through expert consultations, further specified the project vision and directions for implementation.

Then in February, participants discussed the organizational structure and operating measures for the systematic management of the governance body, and focused on reviewing strategies for developing a complex marine leisure tourism city with Pohang as its base.

Private investment firms attending the meeting shared the status of large-scale projects currently underway and their future visions, and proposed ways for mutual development in connection with the Complex Marine Leisure Tourism City Development Project, thereby agreeing on the need to build a sustainable public-private partnership.

Specialized institutions by field are participating in the establishment of this basic plan. Ara Engineering Group will be in charge of the marine technology sector; POSCO A&C will handle architecture and landscape design; Raum Group will be responsible for governance and urban regeneration; and Meta will undertake software-related areas such as tourism content planning and branding. Through this, the city plans to prepare a comprehensive master plan that goes beyond the Yeongilman Tourism Special Zone to encompass the broader core coastal areas.

A Pohang City official said, "We plan to prepare a draft by the end of May through communication among various stakeholders and interviews with local organizations and experts," adding, "We will share it with citizens to expand the governance body and complete a practical basic plan that can lead to active private investment."