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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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mdsb87
Joined: 16 Aug 2010
Location: Gyeongsangnam do
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 Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 12:53 am Post subject: Mokpo: Nice or not nice? |
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Hey folks,
Is anyone living in Mokpo at the moment or have you lived there in the past?
Would like to know what sort of a place it is. Much to do and see?
Any info would be greatly appreciated. |
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air76
Joined: 13 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 1:55 am Post subject: |
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| I lived there for a year and it was OK. Mokpo is a nice city for cities of that size. I'd definitely recommend it when it's all said and done. If you've never lived in Korea there will be plenty to do and see there. |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Location: In my Kingdom
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| Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 2:27 am Post subject: |
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| No special charm, but get yourself to the nearby islands on weekend jaunts, and get your own car or scooter and explore the coast and you'll find some nice sites. I always describe Mokpo as a bland little city with great location vis a vis the outdoors. I've been to and through it a dozen times, never impressed. |
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Kurtz
Joined: 05 Jan 2007
Location: ples bilong me
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| Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 4:15 am Post subject: |
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| Small provincial city at the end of the line. Nothing much going on, 2-3 foreigner bars, handy access to some cool islands, good for biking, you can get the KTX to Seoul, Gwangju is place to head for a night out, good province to do some exploring but you really want the quiet life to enjoy this city. Does have the best food in Korea though IMHO. |
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inigo_jones
Joined: 01 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 2:47 am Post subject: |
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| Kurtz wrote: |
| you can get the KTX to Seoul. |
how long does this take do you reckon? |
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inigo_jones
Joined: 01 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 4:01 am Post subject: |
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| also, how long/far is the journey to Gwangju? |
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palkorea
Joined: 29 Mar 2003
Location: Jeonnam
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| Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 4:59 am Post subject: |
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3 hours 10 minutes to Seoul by KTX.
50-60 minutes by bus to Gwangju (thanks to the new highway)... |
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tardisrider
Joined: 13 Mar 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 5:06 am Post subject: |
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Once when bored I jumped on the KTX and headed to Mokpo. I'd never been there before, didn't know anyone, and had absolutely no plan. I got out at Mokpo Station, hopped in a cab and told the driver to take me to a nice hotel on the beach.
I don't remember the name of the place where I wound up, but it was indeed a pretty nice hotel right on the water. Not a five star hotel, but not a love motel either. I spent the next couple of days wandering around Mokpo, and I enjoyed it very much.
There really wasn't much beach where I was, more like rocks, but it was very nice to walk around and there were hiking trails in the mountain behind the hotel. The town itself seemed very small, and the buildings were much older and smaller than I was used to in the bigger cities. From what I know of the Korean war, I don't think Mokpo was ever flattened the way Seoul was, which might explain the "older" feel of the town--more old buildings means fewer new buildings, if that makes sense.
I don't know what it is like to live there--I imagine it could get boring--but it was a great place to visit. As another poster stated, it is a great jumping off point if you want to go to some out of the way islands. There are many ferries. |
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Zutronius
Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Location: Suncheon
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| Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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I lived there for two years. Most of the foreigners live in the newer part of town (Hadang). There are a few foreigner bars. Moe's bar used to be popular but the owner is a #$#$#@$. Mustang Bar is the place to go these days. P Club and New York Bar are other good hangouts.
It's a great city in the summertime. It's very lively. Living close to Gwangju is nice and having KTX access is nice. There is a pretty good foreigner community there too. I'd recommend going to Mokpo. |
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captain kirk
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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| tardisrider wrote: |
there were hiking trails in the mountain behind the hotel. The town itself seemed very small, and the buildings were much older and smaller than I was used to in the bigger cities. From what I know of the Korean war, I don't think Mokpo was ever flattened the way Seoul was, which might explain the "older" feel of the town--more old buildings means fewer new buildings, if that makes sense.
I don't know what it is like to live there--I imagine it could get boring--but it was a great place to visit. As another poster stated, it is a great jumping off point if you want to go to some out of the way islands. There are many ferries. |
I lived in Cholla for three years (one in Kwangju, two at Hongnong near Pobsung near Youngwang NW of Kwangju and on the west coast) and went up the mountain which is in the city and overlooks the islets around. It's a craggy outcrop up there and the view is spectacular with the city stretching out, radiating below, then the sea, and islets, horizon. Included among the nearby islands is Chindo, home of the Korean superdog, an island accessible by bridge.
One visit was with a couple of 13 year old guys I taught a conversation class to. Their mothers thought the outing would be good for their English. That trip saw, again for me, the ceramic museum, the natural history museum, side by side. The ceramic museum is a display of celadon (pale green, 1300AD), white slip, and rust red pottery that was brought up from undersea near Mokpo. Some fishermen in the seventies pulled up pottery in their nets. There is a very serene and extensive formal collection of unbroken, in perfect condition vases as if discovered in a time capsule. Which is what happened. There is a ship that was pulled out of the mud that is very long and partly reassembled in its own building.
The natural history museum next door has a collection of currency, seashells, butterflies, stuffed (actual animals, taxidermy) animals, and naturally formed meaningful/aesthetic stones Koreans like. As well as geological samples like giant crystals and so on. The nat hist museum is a genial funky place (like a Ripley's Believe it or Not museum) compared to the formality of the ceramic museum and the two go together very well for a rounded mood viewing.
Near there is the city harbour with the small commercial fishing boats and skates stretched like kites on sticks to dry with sinister jaws agape and weird sideways eyes. Yum.
The city has really old architecture for Korea, as the quoted poster remarks, and marches up the mountain which is in the center of town. So it's possible one could live in a one room that has an incredible view and steep narrow lanes nearby. The view of Mokpo harbour with the city marching up the mountain on a frosty day with snow in the trees is up there in popularity, in 'office giant panorama framed I love Korea photos',
in the running with framed views of Soraksan, Cheju Halla crater as seen from above, Chirisan alpine gnarly dead looking trees at altitude, etc.
Live there for a year? The city is scrunched together and on a slope, but it is very old and charming with that view. |
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