Spending a week in Mokpo, South Korea.

September 13, 2010 2:27 PM

I am spending ~week in Mokpo, South Korea. Would love some specific tips/ advice/ ideas on fun things to do there...

My boyfriend and I are spending ten days in Mokpo at his brother's wedding. We have planned a trip to Jeju island, but will be spending 2-3 days in Mokpo - perhaps a day or two in Seoul as well before we fly out. Many threads on the green have great advice on what to wear/see/do in Seoul/ Jeju, but I was wondering if anyone could give me some direction as to what to do in Mokpo. It's possible that the people we're staying with might show us around, but again, if there's something we should absolutely see/ do, it'd be great to know beforehand. I hope I'm assuming correctly that since it is a coastal city, the seafood will be great - any specific restaurants I should visit? Dishes to try (I don't eat pork)? Additionally, I'd like some advice on what to wear to a small wedding - I asked the bride but her answer of 'anything you like' is a little vague, and I'd like to avoid any embarrassment. I'm Southeast Asian, fwiw, and wouldn't mind wearing traditional Korean dress, but don't know if that's appropriate.

I'd love some specific ideas on fun/ interesting things to do in Mokpo, given that my time is limited and the idea of meandering around aimlessly is thus not too appealing. Also, I'm on a student budget, and don't plan on spending too much money. General tips on visiting South Korea - attire, what I should spend money on, what to eat... is appreciated. Thanks much, Mefites :)

posted by Everydayville to travel & transportation around Mokpo-Si, South Korea (3 answers total)

What to wear to the wedding: a pretty dress or a nice skirt / cardigan combo, or even a suit (either skirt or pants) will be fine. What not to wear: jeans & t-shirt, chinos, prom dress type dresses. In U.S. terms this would be business casual or business formal. Always wear hose. (Here's an image search I did on a Korean search engine and it shows some examples of wedding guest attire, which leans towards pretty daytime dresses. The posed pictures of people in fashionable attire are those of celebrity guests attending celebrity weddings, not a look you necessarily want to emulate.)

A general tip is to take shoes that are easy to take on and off, as you'll be taking off your shoes when you enter somebody's house as well as some restaurants.
posted by needled at 3:46 PM on September 13, 2010

Honestly, Mokpo is a little boring. It's a port town. There's a large-ish fish market and a nice central walk, but other than that it's awfully quiet. If you've never been to Korea before, you might enjoy the traditional eats. Get yourself a guide if you don't speak Korean (Try Facebook Groups or Couchsurfing, there are actually quite a few Mokpo-ians on CS).

As far as seafood goes, Koreans like to eat it raw or in spicy stews. I've actually always been kind of bummed with the seafood here. But if you wander into a seafood place, you'll probably order a set menu for x number of people- It's usually a few small cooked or grilled fish, then one or two larger fish served like sashimi. Possibly live octopus legs in there- If you look or sound like a foreigner they may send them along for shits and giggles.

My advice is to take a train or a bus to either Yasu or Busan. Busan is a big coastal city with more touristy stuff to do, Yasu is like Mokpo except there are some really cool sights to see. Trains in Korea tend to be pretty cheap and it's not a huge country so you can get from A to B pretty swiftly.

Re: Proper dress for the wedding, no cleavage, no sleeveless. Koreans are a little weird about that, although I have seen some women rocking the sleeveless lately.
posted by GilloD at 7:54 PM on September 13, 2010

Thanks for your input. I'd suspected that Mokpo would be pretty quiet... but it's still helpful to ask for tips, I think.

Some of my Korean friends suggested Busan, so maybe we'll check it out. Thanks again!
posted by Everydayville at 9:27 PM on September 13, 2010