Homigot Cape

If you picture the Korean Peninsula as a tiger, this is the tip of its tail: Homigot, at the end of the Janggi Peninsula near Pohang. It is counted among the first places on the mainland to see the sunrise, so crowds gather here every 1 January. Two landmarks stand out: the giant bronze hand rising from the sea, the Hand of Harmony, and Homigot Lighthouse, the tallest in Korea.

History: the tiger's tail

Homi means "tiger's tail". The cape used to be called Janggigot, Janggigap or Dongoegot, and its official name changed to Homigot in December 2001. The writer Choe Nam-seon listed its sunrise among the ten finest sights of Korea. Yeongil Bay around the cape is also the setting of the tale of Yeono-rang and Seo-nyeo from the Samguk yusa: when this couple, who carried the spirit of the sun and moon, crossed to Japan, the light vanished from Silla.

What to see

• Homigot Lighthouse: first lit on 20 December 1908 and 26.4 m tall, the tallest lighthouse in the country. It was built of brick alone, without steel reinforcement, as an octagonal tower that tapers towards the top. It has been a provincial cultural heritage since 1982.
• National Lighthouse Museum: right next to the lighthouse, covering the history of navigation aids, the lives of lighthouse keepers and real lighthouse lenses.
• Sunrise Plaza and the Hand of Harmony: a bronze sculpture set up in December 1999 to welcome the new millennium, with a right hand in the sea facing a left hand on the plaza. The sea hand is about 8.5 m tall. The plaza also holds an eternal flame and a statue of Yeono-rang and Seo-nyeo.
• Homigot marine terraces: part of the Gyeongbuk East Coast National Geopark, with four step-like flat terraces rising inland from the shore. The lowest is still being cut by the waves; the upper ones are farmland.

Good to know

• At the New Year sunrise festival, rice-cake soup cooked in a giant iron cauldron is shared with visitors.
• Cold and warm currents meet off the cape, which makes the waters rich in squid and Pacific saury.
• Legend has it that the mapmaker Kim Jeong-ho checked the cape seven times while drawing his great map of Korea, to confirm it was the easternmost point.
• Every April an octopus festival is held, with bare-hand octopus catching and an auction. The strong winds also made the cape an early test site for wind power in the province.

Nearby

• Guryongpo: close by along the southern coast road, with its old alleys and harbour.
• Gyeongju Yangdong Village: about 30 km west beyond Pohang, easy to combine in a day.

Tripto tips

• Visiting: the plaza and lighthouse area are always open and free, with parking on site.
• Sunrise: times vary through the year. On 1 January roads are badly congested, so set off early.
• Getting there: driving from central Pohang is easiest. For local bus routes and times, check Pohang city's transport information.
• Time needed: 1–2 hours for the plaza, lighthouse and museum. The sea wind is strong, so dress warmly in winter.