Mokpo Modern History Quarter

Mobius6 · CC BY-SA 4.0

A port opened in 1897, with a Japanese consulate, tunnels dug into the hill and lanes running down to the sea.

Mokpo opened as a port in 1897 and quickly became the place from which the Japanese shipped Jeolla's rice home. The red-brick Japanese consulate on the flank of Yudalsan is now the modern history museum, and directly behind it are tunnels driven into the hill by forced labour at the end of the Second World War. Downhill lies the old quarter of warehouses, banks and intact Japanese houses. Mokpo is also a city of trot music and of hongeo, fermented skate — which reduces first-timers to tears. At night the Mokpo suspension bridge lights up and the whole bay with it.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Mokpo Modern History Quarter?

April–June and September–November

How much does it cost to visit Mokpo Modern History Quarter?

2,000 KRW (1,000 teens and soldiers, 500 primary pupils, free for preschoolers)

How long do you need at Mokpo Modern History Quarter?

Half a day

What are the opening hours of Mokpo Modern History Quarter?

09:00–18:00, museum closed Mondays

Did you know

Mokpo port opened by treaty in 1897.
The Japanese consulate, built in 1900, is now the Mokpo Modern History Museum.
Tunnels behind the consulate were driven into Yudalsan late in the Second World War.
Mokpo is known for fermented skate (hongeo) and for trot music.

Travel tips

Climb Yudalsan at sunset for the view over the port and the offshore islands.
Hongeo is pungent — beginners should try it as 'samhap', with boiled pork and kimchi.
The KTX from Yongsan to Mokpo takes about 2.5 hours.

Source: https://www.mpcc1897.or.kr/base/culturalSpace/read?culturalSpaceNo=27

Updated: 2026-08-04