Pohang Spacewalk, Nationwide Recognition and Approaching 2 Million Tourists Milestone
Published 11 Oct.2023 17:54(KST)
Updated 05 Aug.2025 21:55(KST)
‘Hot Place’ Spacewalk, 2 Million Visitors in 23 Months Since Opening
Pohang City and POSCO Public-Private Cooperation Win-Win Role Model … Unique Attractive Landmark
Presidential Award at Korea Spatial Culture Awards, 2023-2024 Korea Tourism
‘Pohang Spacewalk,’ the nation’s first and largest interactive sculpture, is approaching 2 million cumulative visitors just 23 months after its opening.
Opened in November 2021, Spacewalk surpassed 1 million visitors in about a year by October last year. Since then, it has become known as a “must-visit landmark when visiting Pohang,” with visitor numbers reaching 1.98 million as of October 9, indicating that approximately 1 million people experience Spacewalk annually.
Spacewalk is the country’s first and largest interactive steel track sculpture created by Pohang City and POSCO in collaboration with German artist couple Heike Mutter and Ulrich Gentz. It reflects the uniqueness and specificity of the “steel city” and serves as Pohang’s representative landmark, designed to give visitors a special feeling as if they are walking in space.
Especially famous on social media as a “night view spot with sparkling beautiful curves” and a “thrilling roller coaster experience challenge,” it has established itself as an essential travel course in Pohang. Its unique scenery, which shows different charms depending on the time of day, has attracted attention as a major filming location domestically and internationally, including CNN and the Korea Tourism Organization. Recently, it was also featured as the nighttime date spot for the main characters in the JTBC drama “This Romance Is Uncontrollable.”
As a result, the number of travelers visiting Pohang to experience Spacewalk has been increasing, with over 70% of visitors being non-locals and foreigners, reflecting its nationwide popularity.
Spacewalk is regarded as a “representative successful case of win-win development” where the local community and businesses have jointly enhanced regional cultural capabilities. Benchmarking visits from various local governments such as Geoje City, Gwangyang City, Changwon Special City Council, and Incheon Dong-gu Council continue daily.
Mayor Lee Kang-deok stated, “As Spacewalk has established itself as a nationwide attraction, the status of Pohang as a marine cultural tourism city is further elevated,” adding, “We will continue to devote efforts to developing local tourism resources, including Spacewalk.”
Spacewalk has been recognized for its unique charm as the only one of its kind in Korea, having been featured in the Korea Tourism Organization’s global advertising last year, awarded the Presidential Prize at the ‘Korea Spatial Culture Awards,’ and selected as one of Korea’s Top 100 Tourist Attractions for 2023?2024.
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