Homigot

For those who did not click the link from before, Homigot is a point on the coast outside of Pohang which is the Easternmost point in Korea. People come on New Years eve to watch the sunrise. Two giant metal hands have been constructed. They look like they are raised to the sky in ritual sun-worship, or perhaps trying to catch a football. One is in the middle of the plaza with some flames iin glass boxes which I conjecture are sacred and/or eternal, and the other is a few yards offshore in the East Sea. The East Sea is known in most places as the Sea of Japan. This seems to be a little bit of a touchy subject. Actually, based on the way SH got started on Japan in the car, I was almost surprised that the big metal hand which is out in the East Sea has all four of its fingers raised, rather than just the one.

Anyway, it was a nice little trip, but nothing like Kyeongju. We basically drove out there, strolled around for maybe 15 minutes, took a few snaps, and then got in the car and drove back. Or rather J drove. I feel a bit bad about all the chauffeur detail he ends up pulling. Plus, the 15 minutes we weren't in the car he was obviously freezing his rear off. None of these guys seems to own a hat. I don't get it. On the way back we took the road along the coast which is beautiful and surprisingly well-fortified. Signs warning you about mines, barbed wire, machine-gun nests. I couldn't help speculating about whether there was really a point to all that. Right across the bay was Posco, a gigantic steelmaking plant which looks to me like the real strategic target if there is one. But the defenses are all on the reasonably uninhabited side of the bay. Posco is pretty impressive. It looks a bit like something out of Star Wars. And, of course, it also looks a lot like Gary, Indiana, except shiny and new and lit up and active.