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| Space Walk stands in Hwanho Park in the southeastern port city of Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, in this provided photo. Courtesy of POSCO |
By Bahk Eun-ji
The nation's largest walkable art installation, named, "Space Walk" in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, is emerging as a popular tourist attraction.
According to Pohang City, Space Walk has rapidly gained attention from tourists and residents alike, as visitors can enjoy beautiful sunrises, sunsets and night views from the roller coaster track-like structure.
More than 110,000 people have visited it since its opening on Nov.19 last year, the city said.
It is the work of German artists Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth. The 333-meter-long curved track was constructed by POSCO, using about 317 tons of steel, all produced by the steel maker, and took two years and seven months to complete.
Visitors say it is like walking on a roller coaster. As it is installed on a mountain, they can also look down on Yeongildae Beach and POSCO's steel plant.
A reservation is not required to visit the Space Walk and admission is free.
For safety, it is designed to automatically block access when the number of people on the structure exceeds 150, or in case of bad weather, such as heavy rainfall or strong winds of 30 km/h or more.
Children under 110 centimeters in height are not allowed to enter, and those under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
While Space Walk is now opened from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on weekdays and 5 p.m. on weekends during the winter season, the operation hours will be extended to between 9 a.m. and 8 to 9 p.m. from March. The city government has been improving relevant facilities by reconditioning the trails toward Space Walk and remodeling the restrooms at Hwanho Park.
