Mokpo

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 and Dadohae National Maritime Park. The port of Mokpo is not far from Yudal mountain, a picturesque area with numerous tourist facilities.

During the Japanese Occupation (1910–1945), Mokpo served as a crucial port for commercial ventures and transportation owing to its convenient location along the sea routes between the Japanese archipelago and the Chinese mainland. The large number of islands surrounding Mokpo have also served as a protective barrier, making the city less vulnerable to high seas and tsunami. During Japanese rule, the city had large residential areas, now the city's historic districts, to accommodate Japanese colonists. However, after the end of World War II and with Korean independence in 1945, the city slowly lost its position as host to major government organs and wartime industries. The shortage of secondary industries caused a serious population drain and Mokpo became a mid-sized city of the Honam region.

Former president Kim Dae-jung earned full support from electorates at president election in 1997, while other political rivals are accused of having tried to underdevelop the city to decrease its population. The city still went through series of platforms to grow up its ability to hold stronger status in South Jeolla province in spite of economic depression and complains of residents at original downtown. According to the city's page, the mayor Jeong Jong Dueg says it is goal of Mokpo to be home to arts of Yellow sea in brilliantly developing Northeast Asia.