Mokpo travel guide

Mokpo (Mokpo-si) is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Mokpo has frequent train service to Seoul and is the terminus for a number of ferry routes serving islands in the adjacent Yellow Sea (called the West Sea by Koreans). A recently released movie "Mokpo hangbu" or "Mokpo harbour" reflects a rather undeserved reputation for this sleepy port city as being a centre of organized crime in Korea. The harbour area is not far from Yudal mountain, a picturesque area with numerous tourist facilities.
The city was one of the largest cities in Korea until the late 1970s. During the Japanese Occupation, the city served as a crucial port for commercial ventures and transportation. Additionally, the public educational system was one of the very best in Korea. The city's decline could be attributed mainly to politics. President Kim Dae-jung earned full support from Mokpo voters as a presidential candidate, and other political rivals are accused of having tried to underdevelop the city to decrease its population and therefore Kim Dae-jung's support base. Since Kim Dae-jung's election, the city has undergone much development. The city is currently constructing the South Jeolla provincial office (temporarily in Muan county), which will cement its status as the capital of the region after the Metropolitan City of Gwangju. (...) more....