Seaside serenity in Pohang

The walk between Guryongpo and Homi-got gives one feelings of peace and serenity.

The sun rises along Korea’s Eastern coast. The scenic trail from Guryongpo to Homi-got in North Gyeongsang is one of the highlights of this popular New Year’s Day attraction. By Son Mon-ho

Standing at the edge of Janggi-myeon in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, a remote town lies just within sight. Known today as Homi-got, the neighborhood has spent its days quietly nestled in the Eastern border area. But within the past decade, this seemingly secluded area has evolved into one of the most popular New Year’s Day attractions.

During the Japanese occupation (1910-45), the colonizers changed the name of this town to Janggi-got. The current name, which translates to “Tiger’s Tail Cape,” was coined in December 2001. If the Korean Peninsula were a tiger, the name suggests, Homi-got lies on the tiger’s tail.

But one single event changed the perception of the town. What was once known as the tail of Korea soon blossomed into the site of a national festival. On the first day of 2000, the Presidential Commission for the New Millennium put together a national festival celebrating the new millennium in Homi-got, picked for its scenery and natural attractions. Every New Year’s Day since, over a million tourists have visited, but it seems this year they are a month ahead of schedule.

At the start of the millennium, Lee Uh-ryung, chairman of the commission, did his best to promote the development of Homi-got. He funded a sculpture of two hands known as the “Hands of Harmony.” This stone-and-bronze statue consists of a pair of hands, one rising from the water and the other from the land, emphasizing harmony.

It seems Lee’s efforts were effective in transforming Homi-got, as it has become a prominent tourist attraction in the 21st century.

The JoongAng Ilbo went to Homi-got in anticipation of the approaching New Year’s celebration.

Winter along the eastern coast

Guryongpo, North Gyeongsang, some five miles southeast of Homi-got, has a lot to offer in the winter. The season of huge king crabs has recently begun, and you can see at the many restaurants hundreds of patrons lined up waiting to eat. By just looking at the town’s supply of crustaceans, neighboring Yeong-deok and Uljin cannot compare. The Guryongpo fishermen go far offshore to sea, returning with an impressive catch.

Guryeongpo also has an abundant supply of guamegi (half-dried herring or mackerel), which is one of Pohang’s winter specialties. The fish are caught in the cold weather and then left out to dry in the ocean winds. Up the coastline from Guryeongpo is an alleyway at the breakwater’s front that has a bunch of guamegi up for grabs, drying outside.

One of the grandmothers selling it mentioned that because of the slow winter, guamegi is in short supply. At a restaurant, one serving of guamegi costs 20,000 won ($17.35).

Guryongpo has long been a harbor known for whale fishing. Even now this remains true, as there are many restaurants that sell whale meat. One dish of whale meat is usually 30,000 won.

If one dislikes the well-known foul smell of whale meat, or disagrees with the practice, one can have the Pohang mulhoe, a dish of various sliced raw fish and vegetables dipped in slightly frozen broth. Mulhoe is well known and well eaten in the areas of Pohang, Yeongduk and Uljin. The dish originated with fishermen who would gather small fish that did not sell and eat them for themselves, mixing them together and seasoning them with water and other ingredients. Ironically, however, the price of mulhoe has since risen drastically. There is a restaurant called Gagopa Jeonbok across from the Guryeongpo fishing village cooperative offices that sells mulhoe for 30,000 won per dish.

Although the wind coming from the sea was harsh, the scenic winter atmosphere and the seafood we consumed was enough to make the trip worthwhile. The sun rising over Homi-got remains in my mind.

Top: The view from the peak from the Janggi Mokjangsong Trail Bottom: Guamegi, or half-dried herring or mackerel, delicacies are abundant at the Pohang seaside town. By Son Mon-ho

How to get to Homi-got

There is no one-way transportation from Guryongpo to Homi-got, as the road is still under construction. There are no roadsigns or signposts either. But it is the walk between these two places that gives one feelings of peace and serenity. Going up Guryongpo 2-ri, you will see Guryongpo’s “Janggi Mokjangsong Trail.” Janggi Mokjangsong was the stone fence of a horse ranch back in the Joseon Dynasty. Some 5.6 kilometers (3.5 miles) up the mountain path is the highlight of the trip: You can see the breathtaking Janggi Peninsula in a single view.

For more information, visit www.ipohang.org or call (054) 270-2993.

By Son Min-ho [estyle@joongang.co.kr]