50,000 Gather at Homigot to Welcome the First Red Sunrise of the Year of the Red Horse
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Around 50,000 people gathered at Homigot, Pohang on January 1, 2026 to watch the first sunrise of the Year of the Red Horse. The 28th Homigot Hanminjok Sunrise Festival resumed after a two-year pause, offering a countdown at midnight, live performances, interactive booths, and a modernized ritual called “Homigot Beomgut” to pray for community well‑being. Organizers prioritized cold-weather safety, deploying 649 safety staff and opening shelters that distributed identical red blankets. After a midnight media-facade countdown on the Homigot lighthouse (the country’s only national lighthouse museum), attendees braved temperatures near -6°C to wait for the dawn. The sun rose slightly off the famous “Hands of Coexistence” landmark, but the crowd cheered as the red sun appeared. The festival also distributed 3,000 servings of traditional tteokguk (rice cake soup) in meal-kit form and managed traffic and safety concerns despite limited parking. Officials called the event a key civic celebration to share hope for the new year.
