Pohang City Accelerates Efforts to Lead the Future Food Industry and Strengthen the Food Welfare Safety Net

Selected for the Global K-Food Tech Enterprise Fostering Project... Leap Toward "Asia"

Full-Scale Launch of the "Geunyang Dream" Project to Address Welfare Blind Spots

Pohang City is accelerating its efforts to enhance urban competitiveness by simultaneously fostering the future high-tech industry of food tech and strengthening "food welfare" for vulnerable populations.

Through its selection for a government public contest, Pohang City has declared its ambition to become the Asian hub for food tech certification, while also launching an unprecedented food support initiative to address welfare blind spots.

Food Tech Research Support Center Construction Project Rendering. Provided by Pohang City

Pohang City was finally selected for the "Global K-Food Tech Enterprise Fostering Project" for 2026, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, securing a total project budget of 1.032 billion won (50% from the national government, 50% from the local government).

The core of this project is the establishment of shared testing and analysis equipment within the Food Tech Research Support Center, aimed at fostering the food tech and food service industries and developing global export models.

Recently, with advances in AI and robotics, the market for food robots and automated food equipment has grown rapidly. However, domestic companies have faced difficulties in exporting due to strict overseas certification standards, as well as excessive costs and time requirements.

To address this, Pohang City plans to introduce a "multi-environment mechanical property analyzer" capable of simulating real kitchen conditions and, through the Pohang Institute of Industrial Advancement (POMIA), will thoroughly verify the durability and safety of food equipment and food robots.

In particular, Pohang City and North Gyeongsang Province signed a business agreement last July with the NSF, a world-renowned public health and food equipment certification agency based in the United States, and in November of the same year, achieved the milestone of designating POMIA as the first NSF international testing and certification institution in Asia.

Once the Food Tech Research Support Center is completed in the second half of this year, a "food tech innovation cluster" covering the entire cycle from R&D to certification and commercialization will be established, significantly easing the path for domestic companies to enter global markets.

Alongside industrial development, Pohang City is also working to establish a comprehensive welfare safety net to stabilize the livelihoods of its citizens.

Beginning on the 18th, Pohang City is officially operating the "Geunyang Dream" project, which allows any economically struggling citizen to receive immediate food support without income or asset screening.

Pohang City is delivering food packages at the Pohang City Food Market on the first day of the "Geunyang Dream" project on the 18th. Provided by Pohang City

Previously, the food bank and food market systems mainly targeted specific groups such as basic livelihood security recipients and those just above the poverty line, making it difficult to identify vulnerable households who did not meet these criteria but were still in need.

"Geunyang Dream" was introduced to address these welfare blind spots and operates every Monday and Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Pohang City Food Market.

Users receive a food package worth about 20,000 won, including instant rice and seasoned seaweed. To prevent initial congestion, the number of users per day is limited to 50.

This project follows a "support first, counseling later" principle, providing food immediately upon ID verification.

If users wish to continue accessing the service, tailored welfare counseling is offered. Households showing signs of crisis on the "user self-assessment checklist" are proactively connected to emergency welfare support, basic livelihood security, and integrated case management within the public benefits system.

Pohang City is simultaneously working to build a food tech industrial ecosystem through technological innovation and to establish a robust food safety net for its citizens, thereby strengthening the city's foundation.

Jang Sangkil, Acting Mayor of Pohang, emphasized, "This global contest selection is the result of our efforts to enhance the competitiveness of the food robot and food tech industries," adding, "We will devote all our resources to ensure Pohang becomes the food tech certification hub of Asia."

Kim Shin, Director of Welfare, also stated, "The Geunyang Dream project will serve as a stepping stone to discover hidden crisis households and connect them with public welfare systems," adding, "We will establish a solid 'Pohang-style food safety net' by promoting virtuous cycles of local donation resources."

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