Homigot Sunrise Square — Attraction in Pohang-si

Amazing place. There is a park by the sea, Hand of Coexistence (The one is in the seaside avenue, and the other, which mostly amazed me and is liked by the birds - is in the sea), and a Lighthouse.

Homigot is located at the easternmost end of the Korean peninsula, in what is thought to be the tail of the tiger based on Korean peninsula geography. When Kim Jeongho made the Daedongyeojido Map, he visited this place seven times to confirm this area is in fact the easternmost part of Korea. Following the resources of Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, the sunrise time of Homigot is at 7:32 am, making it the earliest sunrise in Korea since January 1, 1999. Homigot Sunrise Festival was held here for the first time during the period from December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000 as a national festival. Also, there are other tourism spots including Homigot Lighthouse, established in 1908 and Korea’s largest scale, Lighthouse Museum, Monument to Commemorate Lee Yuk-sa’s Patriotism, and Daebo Seawater Bath, using pure seawater of Donghae ocean.

Sunrise Plaza was the venue for the nationally designated sunrise festival in 2000 and 2001, and a sunrise festival is held annually in the area. When completed, Homigot Tourism Complex and Homigot Specializing Ocean Leisure Complex will be the largest tourism complex in the eastern coast district including an ocean aquarium, Ocean Ecological Park, Youth Training Culture Facilities, beach dome, and accommodation facilities like tourism hotel, condominium, and other various stores as well.

Sangsaeng’s Hand, a two-part bronze sculpture shaped like a pair of hands, was constructed in December 1999 after starting the construction work in June. It is a signature symbol of the sunrise festival. The left hand is on the land and the right hand is in the ocean. It was built to give the message that all people are living together by helping one another like Sangsaeng, meaning coexistence in Korean. The base of the platform is an image of the sun and its two round rings refer to harmony. These two hands have memorial sprits of reconciliation and coexistence for celebrating a...

Homigot is a large free public area with plenty to see but little to do, so be aware if you bring children. The gigantic hand reaching from the sea is striking and photogenic, the walkway out over the water is lovely (but crowded with other people), and the plaza is lined with sculptures and interesting buildings. Lots of walking to see the lighthouse, the museum (small fee), the visitors' centre, and do the full circle of the plaza, with a boardwalk or even day trails through the peninsula available for the energetic hiker. Oh, yes, you can take a little barrel-style go-cart 'train' for a ride around if you have footsore children who have lost interest in collecting 'stamps' on their free postcards of the Homigot Hand. (I imagine there's a fee but I have never been quite that desperate for entertainment, so I can't tell you what it is!) There are some stalls along the water selling assorted skewered and roasted foods, seaweed and dried squid vendors, and a newly-built convenience store which offers all the necessary items you'd expect that were lacking in past years' visits. The gift store has some good quality items (Jejudo dyed fabrics, handsewn brooches, local ceramics) but is stocked by someone with a serious owl obsession (seriously, you will be stared at by owls made from carved wood, molded plastic, painted resin, bejeweled potmetal, in figurines, necklaces, keychains, and more). You can buy an inexpensive kite and try to sail it out of sight riding the always-reliable seawinds. Stop at the info centre and talk to the nice lady about the 'Korean Drama' walking tour with filming locations all along the Pohang bay, and don't forget to take the maps and brochures she will give you.

If you enjoy nature, water, seagulls, and sharing large public places with a lot of people, you will...

In the East Sea, at the easternmost point of Korea (and the enormous city of Pohang), are Sangsaeng’s Hands – the “Hands of Harmony” that rang in the new millennium.

This is a popular destination for all locals and visitors. While the towering, reaching hand is the star of the show, Homigot Cape also has terrific cafes, restaurants, gift shops, and large areas to walk around to see the pier and shore of the East Sea.

If you don’t have a car, keep in mind that this might be a lengthy taxi ride from Pohang (maybe around an hour). That said, it’s a great way to explore the corners of the city that...