Pohang gears up for international light festival in November

Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province has begun preparations in earnest for the 2026 Pohang International Fireworks Festival, scheduled to run from Nov. 19 to Nov. 21.

The city held a preparatory review meeting at the city hall conference room on Monday, sharing updates on festival readiness and discussing cooperation and recommendations among participating agencies.

About 30 people attended the meeting, including heads of festival-related city departments and representatives from the Pohang North Fire Station, the Pohang South and North Police Stations, the Pohang Coast Guard, and the event management company.

The session opened with a progress report from the Pohang Culture Foundation, followed by department-by-department status updates and discussions on inter-agency coordination.

The city expects large numbers of tourists during the festival and plans to strengthen advance safety inspections, making the safety of residents and visitors its top priority.

Affiliated events — including a DJ festival, a dining program and a local agricultural products showcase — will also proceed as planned.

This year's festival had originally been scheduled for late May but was postponed to November due to the June 3 local elections.

The festival opens Nov. 19 at Songdo Pier with a media facade lighting ceremony and a public fireworks show. Nov. 20 will feature an Asia DJ Festival and a night carnival.

On the final day, Nov. 21, a light radio program and a citizens' choral concert will be followed by an international fireworks show featuring France and Japan, with South Korea's grand finale set to light up the night sky over Yeongildae Beach.

Pohang Vice Mayor Bae Yong-su said the festival aims to achieve zero safety incidents through close coordination between operational departments and related agencies. "We will make every preparation to ensure that domestic and international visitors can safely enjoy a wide range of programs throughout the festival," he said.