Mokpo has frequent high-speed train services to Seoul, and is the terminus for a number of ferry routes serving islands in the adjacent Yellow Sea and Dadohae National Maritime Park.

[3] The Mokpo Special Tourist Zone covers 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the northern port to Yudalsan, Old Town Area, Samhakdo, and Gatbawi.

[6] According to a KBS documentary, coastal and offshore areas of Mokpo witnessed superior productivity of crops, and important shipping routes to Naju were established along the Yeongsan River.

In 1439, 21 years after King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty came to power, the Mokpo garrison (jin) was established, which was designed to control twelve offshore islands.

"[11] With Korea's full annexation by Japan in 1910, the city was given a new name, Mokpo-bu, and saw the construction of the colonial institution, the Oriental Development Company.

[12] Mokpo's status as an open port made it a viable option to use the nearby county of Wando as a link to the region's many offshore islands.

Following Order Number 11 of the General Japanese Government of Korea, Muan county incorporated Jido, Palguem, and Docho, which were the other areas formerly comprising Mokpo-bu.

In 1918, the colonists established ginning facilities for manufacturing large amounts of goods in both Mokpo and Iri (current Iksan in North Jeolla province).

[22] Jeon Tae Hong, the next mayor, made some important contributions to Mokpo's government,[clarification needed][23] but he died suddenly in 2005.

[30][31] Another dispute arose in 2009, when non-governmental organizations based in Mokpo sued the government to disclose information about budgetary spending, which had been controlled by a city committee chosen by the mayor.

In 2010, the Bank of Korea reported that the population of western South Jeolla province was declining due to several economic, social and educational issues.

In the late 1990s, large residential areas were built in Yeonsan dong and Hadang, resulting in a significant outflow of the population of the city.

[47] The one exception to the declining economy of the city are the fish markets of Dongmyeong and North Harbor which have been a magnet for tourists and local people looking for octopus or other indigenous products.

The area produces high quantities of rice, barley, and beans, with greens and fruits such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and oriental melons increasing in popularity since 2001.

Mokpo's yield of marine products reached 26,862 tons in 2006, consisting chiefly of fish, with of shellfish, mollusks, and seaweeds also contributing to the total.

Most of the area of Mokpo consists of land reclamation, including Samhakdo, North harbor (Korean: 북항), and the new city of Hadang.

Tideland reclamation projects removed large amounts of mud flats, including Daebandong, Baekryundong and the coastal shore around Gatbawi.

Meanwhile, the water quality of the river has worsened to the point where the ministry in charge of environmental protection began studying the impacts made by man-made structures.

[61] Mokpo's climate features a short spring and autumn, and it is cold and dry in the winter and warm and humid with seasonal winds in the summer.

However, its seacoast location and the influence of the continental climate on the city often cause a great disparity between the rise and fall of daily and yearly temperatures.

[citation needed] Mokpo sometimes falls within the range of passing typhoons, and may suffer peripheral damage, including heavy precipitation during the summer and early autumn.

[citation needed] In 2012, the Mokpo to Gwangyang Highway opened, connecting the eastern and western ends of South Jeolla Province, as well as continuing on to Busan.

In July 2004, another attempt to start a cruise route to Shanghai, with a newly designed, smaller boat, failed due to Chinese objections.

[85] The Nanyeong Singing Memorial celebrates the famous singer, Lee Nan-young, whose song, "Tears of Mokpo" gained wide popularity.

[citation needed] However, environmentalists have lodged objections, arguing that the plan will have an irrevocable impact, harming the ecological balance of the mountain.

Mokpo is famous for hongeo-hoe (Korean: 홍어회), a strong smelling fermented dish featuring the skate, a kind of ray fish.

Other delicacies of Mokpo are: kimchi and pyeonyuk (Korean: 홍어삼합); a variant of yeonpo-tang containing long arm octopus; hoe; and seasoned Portunus trituberculatus.

[citation needed] Gatbawi is a natural Sandstone and Tafoni formation found on the shore of Mokpo's east harbor, near the mouth of the Yeongsan River.

KBS Mokpo was established in 1942, at a location close to the Yeon dong area, prior to its move next to the current city hall in Yongdang.

The council of doctors in Mokpo has stated that the ongoing economic improvement, as well as the growing populations, will cause the need for the construction of middle-sized or larger hospitals and clinics.