Pohang mayor inspects gwamegi production facilities ahead of peak season

Pohang Mayor Park Yong-seon visited a gwamegi processing facility in Guryongpo-eup, Nam-gu on Friday to inspect raw material supply conditions and quality control measures ahead of the peak shipping season for the region's signature dried fish.

Kim Ho, chairman of the Presidential Special Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock and Fisheries, joined the visit. Kim had traveled to Pohang on Thursday to attend the Southeast Sea Fisheries Town Hall Meeting.

Mayor Park briefed Chairman Kim on the state of the local gwamegi industry, toured the production facilities and listened to concerns raised by industry representatives.

Gwamegi, Pohang's signature seafood specialty, recorded output of 3,206 tons and sales of 91.5 billion won ($67.9 million) during the 2025–2026 production season.

That represented a 50.7 percent increase in output and a 19.1 percent rise in sales value compared with the previous year. A total of 156 production and processing businesses are currently registered with the Guryongpo Gwamegi Industry Cooperative.

However, a poor catch of Pacific saury from distant-water fishing grounds is expected to create raw material supply difficulties this year. In response, the city plans to stabilize supply by securing imports of Taiwanese saury and will strengthen step-by-step quality controls from raw material intake through to finished product shipment.

The city also plans to boost the competitiveness of the gwamegi industry through its seafood quality certification program and a range of support measures, including upgrades to processing equipment and packaging materials and subsidies for delivery costs.

"Gwamegi is Pohang's representative winter food and an important source of income for the local fishing industry," Mayor Park said. "We will do our utmost to strengthen support for producers in the face of raw material supply uncertainty and ensure that consumers can trust and enjoy Pohang gwamegi through rigorous quality management."