The Nation's Largest 'National Marine Sports Festival' to Be Held at Pohang Yeongildae Beach This August

Festival Held from August 11 to 14, Thorough Preparation for Benchmarking and Data Collection

At Least 200,000 Visitors Expected, Anticipated to Become a Marine Leisure Sports Hub

‘National Marine Sports Festival,’ the largest marine sports event in the Republic of Korea, is scheduled to be grandly held from August 11 to 14 at Yeongildae Beach and its surrounding areas.

A yacht is floating at Yeongildae Beach.

Marking its 16th edition, this event was originally planned to be held in Pohang in 2021 but was postponed due to the ongoing risk of COVID-19 spread and will now take place this year.

Hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the ‘Marine Sports Festival’ is a nationwide event designed to promote marine sports, foster the foundation of the marine sports industry, and spread a pro-marine culture.

In particular, the festival, which attracts tens of thousands of athletes and tourists nationwide, offers a rich variety of sights and activities through official events such as yacht racing, canoeing, and triathlon, as well as unofficial events like sea swimming and dragon boat racing. Additionally, various experiential programs for the whole family will contribute to the revitalization of Pohang’s local economy.

The city aims to use this festival as an opportunity to expand the base of the marine leisure industry and leap forward as a marine tourism city, leveraging the natural advantages of Yeongil Bay and marine infrastructure. Last year, Pohang visited Gunsan, the host city of the previous festival, to benchmark the overall event, collect data, and engage in close cooperation with the Pohang Sports Council, thus beginning full-scale preparations for a successful event.

Yoo Hoseong, Director of the Marine and Port Division, stated, “With over 10,000 participating athletes and club members and at least 200,000 visitors expected to come to Pohang, we will devote ourselves to preparing a successful event so that Pohang can establish itself as the mecca of marine leisure sports in Korea.”

Mayor Lee Kangdeok said, “We will thoroughly prepare for the event and safety accident prevention plans to ensure that this festival, reflecting Pohang’s unique characteristics, becomes the most successful marine sports festival ever.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.