The Port of Mokp’o is on the southwestern coast of South Korea on the tip of the Muan Peninsula. It is the door to the country’s largest granary, the Honam Plain. When Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910, the Japanese renamed it Mokp’o-bu. When Korea won independence from Japan, it was again renamed Mokp’o City. Mokp’o is the hometown of President Kim Dae-jung.
Port History
From the 14th to 20th Centuries, the Port of Mokp’o was a navy base for the Choson (Yi) dynasty. Opened to foreign trade in 1879, it was redeveloped in 1955 when harbor facilities were expanded. With over 1400 islands in the area, the coastal sea is a rich fishing ground. Mokp’o is home to industries manufacturing marine products and salt chemicals.
One of the biggest cities in Korea until the late 1970s, the city suffered from political struggles within Korea. But since Kim Dae-jung was elected, Mokp’o has once again seen development.
Port Commerce
The Mokp’o Regional Maritime Affairs and Port Office manages the Port of Mokp’o. The port offers over 5.8 kilometers of quay, and its warehouses can handle over 460 thousand tons of cargo.
The Samhak Wharves can berth four ships up to 30 thousand tons that carry grains, coal, and general cargo. Combined length is 793 meters, and the wharves have a capacity to handle 1.3 million tons of cargo a year. The Dawbul Wharves, dedicated to cargoes from the Daebul industrial complex, contain three piers with a total length of 630 meters and can handle 1.9 million tons of cargo a year. The Port of Mokp’o contains exclusive wharves for handling cement, oil, and iron. These four piers have a combined length of 1037 meters and can handle almost 4 million tons of cargo a year.
Cruising and Travel
The Port of Mokp’o Passenger Wharves receives 84 visits per day for travelers to and from Jeju and Hongdo. The port is constructing an international passenger terminal that will be important to Korea’s international passenger services with ports in Shanghai and Japan.
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