Pohang, a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, has completed its application for NEAR Special Membership in May 2024.

As was stated in the association’s Charter, the scope of NEAR membership used to be limited to the local governments of metropolitan cities and provinces. But an amendment was made in the Charter in March 2024, allowing even the non-metropolitan cities or organizations to join NEAR as its special members.

Since the year 2005 when the city was chosen as the site of the permanent NEAR Secretariat, Pohang has provided active assistance to NEAR including budget support. Recognizing the significant contribution Pohang City has made to NEAR’s long-term growth, the Secretariat created NEAR Special Membership system and has actively assisted the city to become its special member.

The Pohang City’s application for NEAR special member will be officially voted upon as the agenda for the 14^th NEAR High-Level Working Committee, which will take place in Liaoning Province, China, in the second half of the year.

Pohang City (Mayor LEE Kang-deok), Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, is located at the eastern end of South Korea as one of the central cities of the East Sea Rim. With a population of 500 thousand, the city is home to POSCO Group, one of the world’s top steel makers that produces 16.8 million tons of steel every year. Moreover, Pohang is emerging as a center city for cathode material production in recent years.