Korean Job Discussion Forums

Flex Bulkchest · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2003 1:21 pm Post subject: Is Mokpo good times?

So, I'm still sitting on the fence about heading off on a Korean adventure. I originally wanted to be in Seoul, but the only good job offers I could get ahead of time, which is critical to my lack of funds, are in the south. I'm mostly considering a job in Mokpo. I was wondering if anybody who's been there could shed some light on the city. Was it a good time? Any thing to check out?

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

I deplore katydid to give you a better answer... Anyways been there three times.. I live in Gwangju, (look at a map) have seen the downtown, and if you really need all the ambiguity for your personaly life, don't head to Mokpo, it is small. ONly 260,000 but rest assured that you can cut the last zero off any population number for a Korean city and get the real feel for the city in a western context. So you are really looking at city of 26,000. Yes, that is right.

Mopko girls are hot, kind of trend setters, yes I am saying that, but I feel I have a rght to too... Go you will be happy, you can always party in Gwangju for the weekends if Mokpo proves too small..

mokpochica · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Location: Ann Arbor, MI

I like Mokpo. This is my second year living here and I find the people to be very friendly and quite polite.

Check out this town and city guide for more info about Mokpo and other cities. (Mokpo is in Jeollanamdo.)

BTW, Mokpo is growing and I believe the population is about 350,000 now.

katydid · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Location: Here kitty kitty kitty...

Does this mean if my answer is already deplorable? Smile

I was lucky to live in downtown, where I could easily hop on a train to Seoul or Busan if I wanted to go to a larger city. I found the foreigner population to be small and kind of stifling.
I live in Gwangju now, and I have to say, while there is much more to do here, the people in Mokpo were much nicer and friendlier to me. (But that may just be because I now live in a larger city.)

goose_76 · Joined: 18 May 2003

I lived there for a year and I had a good time. When people say it is a "small" city, you have to remember that 47 million people jammed in that tiny country means that even small cities are not so small (population-wise). It can get boring but like someone else said, Gwangju is only an hour away and there is tons to do there. Just make sure you're not picturing "middle-of-nowhere, USA" make no mistake about it- it is a city with lots of people around and things to do... go for it...

VanIslander · Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 7:23 am Post subject:

So did the op end up in Mokpo?

After a couple of years on the southeast coast I'd still consider living there in Mokpo on the southwest coast for its regional significance for travel.

I spent my summer vacation in the province, going on the 3-hour ferry from Mokpo to the westernmost Korean island of Hongdo, to the landing tide phenomenon on Jindo (couldn't "walk on water" at the time), to a good hike up Wolchulsan, to the green tea hills of Boseong, to the traditional village and hot springs near the southern coast, to a decent week in the Wando region of islands.

I want to return. There's quite a bit for the offbeat traveller and nature enthusiast. Not to mention its proximity to Jeju for affordable weekend excursions.

The one drawback is that there's no Busan within an hour of there. But for someone wanting a year away from the concrete jungles, Mokpo's not a bad choice.

IMO.