Pohang Accelerates Regional Innovation with a Triad of Jobs, Culture, and Economy

Investing 619.8 Billion Won to Boost Local Vitality with Tailored Jobs for All Demographics

Green Light for Oeosa Bronze Bell's National Treasure Status

Maximizing Cultural Heritage Value

Expanding on the Global Stage: Strengthening Investment Attraction and Economic Cooperation in Shenzhen, China

Pohang City is accelerating its comprehensive efforts to restore the dynamism of the local economy and establish its historical identity.

The city has set a target of creating 34,500 jobs this year, announcing new employment policies while focusing its administrative resources on securing the city’s future competitiveness. These efforts include promoting the designation of the ‘Oeosa Bronze Bell’—a representative local relic—as a national treasure, and expanding its global economic cooperation network.

The "2025 Pohang Job Fair" held last October at Manindang. Provided by Pohang City

The most notable aspect is the city’s job creation policy, which forms the foundation of the local economy.

Pohang has established the ‘2026 Local Job Posting System Detailed Plan’ with a vision of becoming a ‘City of Happy Opportunities Brimming with Vibrancy through Jobs,’ allocating a total budget of 619.8 billion won to this initiative.

This goal is 700 jobs higher than last year, reflecting the city’s determination to directly address structural demographic challenges such as an aging population and the outflow of young people.

In particular, Pohang plans to strengthen tailored employment services centered on four key tasks, including innovative jobs leading the transition to new industries and residency-based jobs utilizing local resources, in order to drive tangible regional revitalization.

Fish species of Eosa. Provided by Pohang City

Alongside economic revitalization, efforts to enhance the value of cultural heritage—the city’s spiritual roots—are also bearing fruit.

Recently, the Gyeongsangbuk-do Cultural Heritage Committee selected the ‘Pohang Oeosa Bronze Bell’ as a final candidate for designation as a national treasure.

This bell, crafted by Sun Gwang, a renowned bell maker of the Goryeo Dynasty, is regarded as a rare artifact whose period of production and enshrinement temple are clearly evidenced by its inscription.

The city plans to finalize the national treasure designation after the National Heritage Administration’s review, while also working to expand the national heritage zone based on archaeological achievements at Beopgwangsa Temple Site, the royal ancestral temple of the Silla Dynasty, thereby establishing a systematic preservation and management framework.

Pohang is also actively pursuing global diplomacy to secure future economic drivers.

On April 17, the city participated in the ‘Post-APEC Gyeongsangbuk-do China Investment Forum’ held in Shenzhen, China, promoting Pohang’s advanced industrial ecosystem—including secondary batteries, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI)—to the global market.

Through building an economic cooperation platform with Shenzhen, where global big tech companies such as Huawei and Tencent are concentrated, Pohang aims to attract substantial investment and lay the groundwork for local companies to expand overseas.

A Pohang City official stated, “Proactive job creation in response to industrial structural changes and elevating the value of the city’s precious cultural assets are key to determining the city’s stature,” adding, “We will strive to simultaneously realize a thriving employment environment and cultural pride that citizens can truly experience.”

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