Pohang
Pohang is a port city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is known for its steel industry and Pohang University of Science and Technology.
North Gyeongsang Province: A province in southeastern South Korea, with Andong as its capital. Pohang is one of the province’s major coastal cities.
Pohang Iron and Steel Company: The former name of POSCO, established in 1968 to build South Korea’s steel industry. The company’s establishment launched Pohang’s large-scale steelmaking development.
Integrated steel mill: A steelworks that combines ironmaking, steelmaking, and rolling operations at one industrial site. POSCO’s Pohang complex is a major example of this production model.
Pohang earthquake: A magnitude 5.4 earthquake that struck Pohang, South Korea, on November 15, 2017. The earthquake caused substantial damage and prompted scrutiny of nearby geothermal energy operations.
Sea of Japan: A marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, bordered by Japan, Korea, and Russia. Pohang’s eastern coastline opens onto this sea.
South Korean industrialization: The rapid expansion of manufacturing and infrastructure in South Korea, especially from the 1960s onward. National industrial policy helps explain why a major steelworks was built in Pohang.
Steelmaking: The industrial process of producing steel from iron or recycled metal. Steelmaking is the industry most closely associated with Pohang’s economic history.
Induced seismicity: Earthquakes triggered or affected by human activities that alter stress or pressure underground. Investigations connected the 2017 Pohang earthquake to an enhanced geothermal system.
POSCO: A South Korean steelmaking company founded as Pohang Iron and Steel Company. Its integrated steelworks became a defining industrial presence in Pohang.
Park Chung Hee: President of South Korea from 1963 to 1979, associated with state-led economic development. His government backed the industrial strategy that established Pohang’s steel industry.