Mokpo, South Korea
Mokpo 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. The port city of Mokpo is located in the southwest corner of the Korean
peninsula. Its population is approximately 260,000.
The name "Mokpo"
is first found in the History of Kyoro. In 1439, the Mokpo man-ho was
constructed, and the first port was established on October 1st, 1897. Upon
Korea's annexation by Japan in 1910, the city was given a new name, "Mokpo-bu"
and received its current name, "Mokpo City", the year after the nation's
independence from Japan. On October 1st, 1997, when Mokpo had its centennial as
a port city, the city announced the second opening of the port. Mokpo has become
famous as the hometown of President Kim Dae-jung, who received the Nobel Peace
Prize in 2001.Mokpo is connected to the rest of the world by KTX subway and
Gwangju Rapid Transit system, Muan International Airport serving Seoul, Beijing,
Shanghai, Changsha, Shenyang, Hangzhou, and Macau and ships serving Chejudao and
Shanghai.
