P'ohang

Pohang 포항시
Specific city
Korean transcription(s)
• Hangul
• Hanja
• Revised Romanization	Pohang-si
• McCune-Reischauer	P'ohang-si
A view of Guryongpo Beach
Emblem of Pohang
Location in South Korea
Country	South Korea
Region	Yeongnam
Administrative divisions	2 gu, 19 dong, 4 eup, 10 myeon
Area
• Total	1,127.24 km2 (435.23 sq mi)
Population (2011 Jul)
• Total	520,305
• Density	461.6/km2 (1,196/sq mi)
• Dialect	Gyeongsang

Pohang (Korean pronunciation: [pʰo.ɦaŋ]) is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, and a main seaport in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hyeongsan River. The city is divided into two wards (gu), Buk-gu or Northern Ward (북구/北區) and Nam-gu or Southern Ward (남구/南區).

This city has the largest population of North Gyeongsang Province and it has the third largest land area of any city (si) in South Korea.

The earliest evidence of human occupation in the Pohang area is from the Mumun Pottery Period (1500–300 BC). Archaeologists have unearthed small villages and megalithic burials (dolmen) from this period. Still a small fishing village at the dawn of the 20th century, the earliest steps toward developing Pohang into a place of greater significance were taken in 1930 with the construction of a modern harbour. Pohang grew rapidly afterward, attaining the designation of town (eup) in 1931 and then earning the status of city (si) in 1949.

Pohang's road arteries and shipping port made it a place of strategic significance during the Korean War. An unopposed landing of UN forces at Pohang on July 18, 1950 was the first large-scale amphibious operation since World War II, and the region around Pohang saw fierce clashes between South Korea's 3rd Infantry Division and North Korea's 5th Infantry Division during August–September 1950.