Yeongil Bay
Overview
Yeongil Bay (영일만) is a representative bay located on the East Coast of Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. It has a coastline that begins near the Hyeongsan River estuary and extends north to Homigot (호미곶), and is characterized by a wide bay mouth and relatively shallow water depth. Its name originates from Yeongil-hyeon (영일현), an administrative district of the Joseon Dynasty, and today it is established as a site of national key industries including the POSCO Pohang Steelworks and Yeongilman Port, as well as a sea area that forms an important axis of the East Coast marine ecosystem.
Main Content
Geographic Characteristics
Yeongil Bay is a bay located in the south-central part of the East Coast, with Homigot to the north and the Hyeongsan River estuary area to the south as its two ends. The bay is about 12 km wide, and its coastline curves relatively gently. Its water depth is shallower than the open sea, so it is greatly affected by waves, and its water temperature and salinity show distinct seasonal changes. Due to the influence of the East Korean Warm Current, the open-sea side is relatively mild even in winter, but the inner bay is affected by a continental climate and has a large annual temperature range. The coastal topography is a mixture of sandy beaches and rocky coasts, and the Homigot area has well-developed sea cliffs and wave-cut platforms, giving it high geomorphological value.
Formation and History
Yeongil Bay acquired its present appearance through repeated uplift, erosion, and sea-level changes along the East Coast of the Korean Peninsula since the Cenozoic Era. Historically, it was used as a base for East Coast trade and fishing since the Silla period, and during the Joseon Dynasty, Yeongil-hyeon and Janggi-hyeon (장기현), etc., governed this area. The Guryongpo (구룡포) and Homigot areas grew into full-scale fishing ports in the modern period, and were rich in herring, sardines, squid, etc., serving as a center of East Coast fishing. In the late 1960s, as the construction of the Pohang Integrated Steel Mill was promoted, large-scale reclamation and port maintenance took place, and afterward Yeongil Bay rapidly transformed into an industrial sea area.
Industry and Ports
The most symbolic industrial facility in Yeongil Bay is the POSCO Pohang Steelworks. Starting with the first blast furnace operation in 1973, it became the starting point of Korea's steel industry, and even now it produces high-value-added products such as automotive steel sheets and thick plates for shipbuilding. In 2010, Yeongilman Port opened and is being fostered as a logistics hub in Northeast Asia handling containers and general cargo. Companies related to steel, machinery, and auto parts have moved into the hinterland of Yeongilman Port, and a port cluster including Pohang New Port and Old Port has been formed. In addition, fishing is active, and gwamegi (과메기), squid, snow crab, etc. are traded centered on Jukdo Market and Guryongpo Port.
Ecology and Environment
Yeongil Bay has great ecological value as a major habitat for migratory fish species of the East Coast and an intermediate stopover for migratory birds. The Hyeongsan River estuary and inner-bay tidal flats and sandbars are rich in benthic organisms, forming the basis of the food chain. However, due to large-scale reclamation and industrial activities, marine environmental pollution issues have been continuously raised, and recently management efforts such as water quality monitoring, sediment purification, and marine litter collection have continued. The Homigot area is being reorganized in a direction that combines marine life protection and tourism.
Recent Trends
In the 2020s, Yeongil Bay has been attempting to transition from a traditional steel center to a hub for new industries such as secondary batteries, hydrogen, and offshore wind power. Pohang was designated as a specialized complex for the secondary battery national advanced strategic industry in 2023, and investment by cathode material, anode material, and recycling companies was concentrated around Yeongil Bay, but since 2024 it has entered a phase of adjusting investment pace due to the so-called chasm (temporary demand stagnation) caused by slowing EV demand. Yeongilman Port is continuing its strategy as a Pan-East Sea logistics hub by promoting the expansion of its international passenger terminal and hinterland, and POSCO is preparing for the transition to carbon neutrality through demonstration of hydrogen reduction steelmaking technology. In addition, as the so-called Great Whale Project, an exploration of deep-sea gas fields in the East Sea, is being conducted in waters near Yeongil Bay, interest in energy resource development has increased. Furthermore, discussions are underway on creating an offshore wind farm in Yeongil Bay, expanding marine tourism infrastructure, and envisioning a cross-Yeongil Bay transportation network, leaving the task of securing new drivers for the local economy.
Related Topics
- [[Pohang]]
- [[Homigot]]
- [[POSCO]]
- [[Yeongilman Port]]
- [[Guryongpo]]
- [[Great Whale Project]]