Mokpo

Mokpo (Korean: 목포; Korean pronunciation: [mok̚.pʰo]) is a city in Jeonnam-Gwangju, South Korea. It is located at the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula, close to the mountain Yudalsan. Mokpo has frequent high-speed train services to Seoul, and is the terminus for a number of ferry routes serving islands in the adjacent Yellow Sea and Dadohae National Maritime Park. To the southwest of the city is Yudalsan Mountain, which is surrounded by strange cliffs like a wall. There are six populated and five uninhabited islands. The Mokpo Special Tourist Zone covers 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the northern port to Yudalsan, Old Town Area, Samhakdo, and Gatbawi. It is home to attractions such as the Mokpo Natural History Museum and the National Maritime Museum. To live up to its name as a coastal city, the city's traditional dishes include a variety of seafood dishes, including raw croaker, braised hairtail, skate, and seasoned crab. The city was once part of South Jeolla Province, but on 1 July 2026, that province was dissolved and merged with Gwangju into the provincial-level city of Jeonnam-Gwangju. Now, the city is directly managed under Jeonnam-Gwangju.