‘Pohang Marine Corps Cultural Festival’ Held After 4 Years... Spectacular Red Marine Festival Takes Place

Pohang Marine Corps Cultural Festival, Ocheon Marine Street on 29th and 30th

Marine Corps 1st Division Base Open ... Participation and Experience Programs

From the 29th to the 30th of this month, the only nationwide event, the ‘Pohang Marine Corps Culture Festival,’ will be held over two days centered around the 1st Marine Division and Ocheon Marine Street (Seomun Intersection area) in Pohang, the hometown of one million Marines and the birthplace of the Marine Corps.

The scene of the Pohang Marine Corps Cultural Festival in 2019.

This year, Pohang City plans to fill the festival venue with various participatory and experiential programs that men and women of all ages can enjoy, under the slogan ‘The Shout of Youth, the Passion of Hot-blooded Marines,’ using the Marine Corps’ symbolic ‘red color’ as the concept. The event will also feature various demonstration events and exhibition contents where visitors can truly feel the ‘Marine Corps culture.’

The biggest change in this year’s festival is the significant expansion of the previously limited range of base access. Due to the military protection zone, past events were limited to bus tours by prior application, and festival contents allowing direct experience of Marine Corps culture inside the base were restricted.

This year, an agreement has been reached to allow visitors to tour the Marine Corps base on foot without any prior procedures. Various military equipment and supplies will be exhibited and experiential programs operated within the base to showcase the essence of Marine Corps culture.

On the first day of the festival, the 29th, base entry will be possible from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Various Marine Corps culture experience booths, including paintball shooting and real combat physical fitness zones, will be available, along with diverse events at base facilities such as Dosolgwan, the Marine Corps History Hall, and Haeryong’s House.

In particular, at 12:30 p.m. on the 29th and 1 p.m. on the 30th, various demonstration events including the military band, Mujeokdo, and honor guard will be held. Additionally, places such as the combat training ground, where military life experiences, equipment exhibitions, and a Marine kite-flying event take place, will be open to the public.

Moreover, the festival will open Ilwolji Pond, which holds the legend of Yeonorang and Seonyeo, and Haedalmot, a resting area with scenery comparable to Ilwolji, allowing visitors to experience unique aspects of the Marine Corps base that are usually difficult to visit.

In addition to the various experiences inside the base, many events will also be held on Marine Street (Seomun Intersection), where the stage is located. On the 29th, the Marine Look Festival, showcasing the evolution of Marine Corps uniforms by Marines, a spectacular street parade, the opening ceremony, and the Marine Dream Concert featuring invited singers with passionate energy will take place.

On the 30th, hosted by singer P.O (Pyo Ji-hoon), who is currently serving in the Marine Corps, the Hot People Contest, showcasing the splendid physiques of Marines with strong stamina and great bodies, and the Show Me The Marine - Marine Hip-hop Competition, where hidden talents of Marines can be enjoyed, will be held. Wonderful performances by local arts and cultural groups are also prepared.

Furthermore, the Marine Culture Experience Booths and the Marine Harmony Cultural Market, selling various Marine Corps-related goods, will be located on Marine Street, along with specialty product sales booths to enrich the festival venue.

Considering the concentration of tourists, Pohang City will establish a temporary parking lot under Naengcheon Bridge and operate four shuttle buses to the event site. Together with the Marine Corps Veterans Association, they will ensure thorough management of traffic and safety accidents.

Deputy Mayor Kim Nam-il said, “Through this festival, we aim to boost the pride of Marines, heroes who overcome disasters, and promote Pohang nationwide as the mecca of Marine Corps culture. We hope many will visit Pohang to feel the passionate enthusiasm and spirit of the Marines and create warm memories.”

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