Pohang is a steel city on the East Sea coast, an hour or so north of Ulsan and just within comfortable reach for a day trip — though you could easily fill a weekend. It shares plenty with Ulsan: both are industrial towns built around a single giant employer, here the POSCO steelworks rather than Hyundai's shipyards. But the differences underneath make it worth the journey. It is a change of scenery, a change of people, and a reminder of how much variety hides inside Korea's working cities.
Pohang's great advantage over Ulsan is its compact, walkable downtown. The train deposits you near the top of a wide pedestrian street lined with familiar brand-name stores; as everywhere in Korea, the real finds are down the side streets. A short walk away is Jukdo Market, a labyrinth of covered alleyways selling every kind of seafood and ware imaginable — wander, get lost, and discover. Stop at any tourist information booth when you arrive for excellent free maps that are often more current than the guidebooks.
When you need a break, Buk-bu Beach is a good afternoon stop before a night out: fine sand, shallow water for wading, and on a lucky day, horses to ride along the shore. As in Ulsan, heavy industry is never far from the view — here it is the towers of POSCO across the water. Other attractions worth seeking out are Hwanho Sunrise Park and, for those with more time, Mt. Naeyeon with its twelve waterfalls, harder to reach on a single day's outing.
Pohang has no single sight that grabs you by the collar, but with a spare day or an empty weekend it makes for a satisfying trip — and you may come away with a renewed appreciation for home. The city is also the departure point for ferries to the remote volcanic islands of Ulleungdo and Dokdo. There are regular buses throughout the day from Ulsan's Samsandong express bus terminal; going by train requires a change in Gyeongju, with a total journey time of a little over two hours.