Gunsan, Mokpo, Incheon, and Daegu: Four Modern-History and Open-Port Tours That Walk You Back 100 Years
Comparing cities for modern architecture walks, from the warehouse and bank streets of the West and South Sea open ports to Daegu's missionary houses and cathedral alleys
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GunsangakGunsan, Jeonbuk State
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MokpogakMokpo, Jeollanam-do
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IncheongakIncheon Metropolitan City
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DaegugakDaegu Metropolitan City
Comparison table at a glance
| City | Signature modern architecture and sights | Historical background | Signature food nearby |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunsan (Gunsangak) | Gunsan History Hall of the Japanese Colonial Period, March 1st Movement 100th Anniversary Memorial Hall, Dongguksa Temple | A rice export port opened in 1899 and the independence movement | Iseongdang bread, Gunsan jjamppong |
| Mokpo (Mokpogak) | Ogeori Culture Center, Mokpo Jeonggwang Jeonghyewon, Modern History Museum | Self-initiated port opening in 1897 and the Yudalsan foreign settlement | Korombang Bakery baguettes, octopus |
| Incheon (Incheongak) | Open Port Street, former Incheon Post Office, Jayu Park | Foreign concessions and the financial street after the 1883 port opening | Jjajangmyeon at Gonghwachun in Chinatown |
| Daegu (Daegugak) | Daegu Modern History Museum, Daegu Gyesan Cathedral, Yangnyeongsi herbal market | Modern commerce after the fortress walls came down, plus missionary work and the national movement | Milbat Bakery, halmae (grandma's) tteokbokki |
1. Memories of the Southwest's Open Ports and Harbor Alleys: Gunsan vs Mokpo
Gunsan and Mokpo, once the two great open ports of Honam, are said to have old downtowns that are entire roofless museums of modern history. In Gunsan, history lessons and photo walks blend perfectly, from the Gunsan History Hall of the Japanese Colonial Period in front of the inner harbor, the former Gunsan Customs House, and the Jangmi-dong warehouses to the March 1st Movement 100th Anniversary Memorial Hall, which honors Honam's first independence protest, the March 5 Manse Movement.
In Mokpo, modern buildings are packed tightly into the old downtown alleys between the slopes of Yudalsan and Mokpo Station. Walk past the Ogeori Culture Center (the former Mokpo branch of Higashi Honganji), with its arched windows and imposing granite walls, and Mokpo Jeonggwang Jeonghyewon, where Japanese-style garden features remain, and you can soak up Mokpo's uniquely romantic retro atmosphere.
Ogeori Culture Center · Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1
Yeohaenggak editor's tip In both Gunsan and Mokpo, old bakeries with 70–80 years of tradition (Iseongdang, Korombang Bakery) sit right next to the modern-history alleys, adding to the fun of a walking tour.
2. Where Foreign Concessions Meet Renaissance Brick Architecture: Incheon's Open Port Street
The modern-era time-travel destination you can reach fastest by subway from the Seoul area is Open Port Street in Jung-gu, Incheon. Along with the former Incheon Post Office, an eclectic-style building completed in 1923, the former branch buildings of the Japanese 1st Bank, 18th Bank, and 58th Bank are preserved side by side along a single block, vividly showing the scenery of a financial street from the port-opening era.
Above all, the sight of Chinese-style buildings and Japanese-style wooden buildings lining up face to face above the stairs that mark the boundary between the Qing and Japanese concessions, and the view of Incheon Port from Jayu Park on the hill, are charms found only at Incheon's Open Port.
Former Incheon Post Office · Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1
Yeohaenggak editor's tip Around the former Incheon Post Office and Open Port Street, Open Port heritage night tours and street performances are often held on weekends, making it a popular evening walk as well.
3. Modern Heritage That Blossomed in an Inland City, Not a Port: Daegu's Modern Alleys
If Gunsan, Mokpo, and Incheon were open ports where new culture arrived by sea, Daegu shows the classic form of an inland modern city that grew up around the Gyeongbu Line railroad and the Yangnyeongsi herbal market. The alleys that start at the Daegu Modern History Museum, a Renaissance-style building erected in 1932, and lead to the Gothic Daegu Gyesan Cathedral and the missionary houses on Cheongna Hill have a neat and elegant charm.
The houses of national poet Yi Sang-hwa and of Seo Sang-don, a leader of the National Debt Repayment Movement, are preserved side by side, so you encounter not just old buildings but also the fierce spirit of the age held by the citizens of modern Daegu.
Daegu Modern History Museum · Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1
Yeohaenggak editor's tip Pick up a 'Modern Alley Stamp Tour' leaflet, run by the Jung-gu District Office of Daegu, at the Daegu Modern History Museum or Gyesan Yega, and you can finish the route without missing a single key point.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Q. Of the four cities, which do you most recommend for history field trips with elementary and middle school students?
We most recommend Gunsan, where exhibition facilities such as the Modern History Museum, the Japanese Colonial Period history hall, and the March 1st Movement memorial hall are most systematically gathered, and Daegu's Modern Alleys, where National Debt Repayment Movement sites and the March 1st Independence Movement Road are well preserved.
Q. Are the Open Port and Modern Alley tours OK on rainy or hot days?
Along the walking routes, indoor museums and cafes in converted modern buildings appear here and there, so you can take breaks as you go.
Q. Can I reach all four by train or subway without a car?
Yes. At Mokpo Station, Incheon Station, and Banwoldang Station in Daegu, the tour starts on foot the moment you exit, and from Gunsan Station you can reach the old downtown museum street by city bus or taxi.
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