Mokpo Modern History Museum

The Mokpo Modern History Museum occupies two early 20th-century buildings in the former Japanese settlement at the foot of Yudalsan. Building 1 is the old Japanese Consulate in Mokpo and Building 2 the former Mokpo branch of the Oriental Development Company. From the opening of the port and Mokpo's rapid growth to the years when land and rice were taken under colonial rule, the buildings themselves are part of the exhibition.

Building 1: the former Japanese Consulate

Japan set up a consulate in Mokpo in 1898, and the present building was completed in 1900. It is a two-storey Renaissance-style red-brick building with a central porch under a hipped roof. After serving as the consulate it became the Mokpo municipal office, then after liberation Mokpo City Hall, the city library and, from 1990 to 2009, the Mokpo Cultural Centre. Following restoration it opened as Building 1 of the museum in 2014; it was designated a Historic Site in 1981.

Inside, a marble fireplace and period mirrors survive in their original state. Seven themed sections on two floors trace Mokpo from the opening of the port to its growth into a modern city, which has earned it the nickname "treasure house of modern history". Before building the consulate, the Japanese borrowed a Joseon naval office, then put up a temporary building high on Yudalsan, before establishing the consulate, police station and post office together on this site. Outside the building an air-raid shelter from the colonial period also survives.

Building 2: the former Oriental Development Company branch

The Oriental Development Company was founded in 1908 to take control of the Korean economy. It opened an office at Yeongsanpo in Naju in 1909, moved to booming Mokpo in 1920 as a full branch, and put up the present building in 1921. It stood on the busiest street of the colonial town and is known for collecting more tenancy fees than any other branch. In South Korea only the Busan and Mokpo company buildings survive, and Mokpo's is the larger. It is a provincial monument of South Jeolla.

Building 2 shows photographs documenting colonial exploitation and material on the national independence movement, and the company's old vault is still there. Its fate was debated for years between demolition and preservation before it became a museum, and it is valued as almost the only building of its style from 1920s Mokpo. Hands-on displays and games also make it workable with children.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: 09:00–17:30 (last entry 17:00), closed Mondays, or the following day when Monday is a public holiday. Building 2 also closes on 1 January.
• Tickets: Adults KRW 2,000, youth and soldiers KRW 1,000, primary pupils KRW 500; one ticket covers both buildings. Free for visitors aged 65 and over.
• Guided commentary: Korean-language talks by tourism interpreters at 10:30, 11:30, 13:30 and 15:00, about 30 minutes each.
• Route: The two buildings are a few minutes' walk apart. Take a moment on the steps of Building 1 to look over the old town below.
• Time needed: 1 to 2 hours for both. Add the lanes of the old town and Yudalsan for a half-day outing.