Across the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, modern Christian heritage sites have already established themselves as tourism resources.
In the Maesan-dong area of Suncheon, schools, medical facilities, and a Christian history museum built by missionaries are linked together as a pilgrimage and modern culture exploration course.
Yangnim-dong in Gwangju also uses missionary residences, the Owen Memorial Hall, and Yangnim Church together as historical and cultural content.
Now Mokpo is making its own moves in earnest.
In 1898, Mokpo became the third region in the country, after Jeonju and Gunsan, where the American Southern Presbyterian mission was established, making it a city of significant meaning in Korea's modern history and Christian missionary history.
Based on this historical background, Mokpo City has been pursuing the creation of a specialized cultural space reflecting the region's identity since 2022, along with efforts to revitalize the tourism industry. The Mokpo Area Christian Modern History Museum is drawing attention as a new attraction connecting the historical tourism resources of Mokpo's old downtown from the port-opening era.
On the 10th, a groundbreaking ceremony for the new construction of the "Mokpo Area Christian Modern History Museum" was held in the Bukgyo-dong area, marking the formal start of the project. The ceremony was attended by Mokpo Mayor Kang Sung-hwi, officials from the Mokpo Area Christian Modern History Memorial Association, church figures, and local residents, who shared in the meaning of the museum's establishment and wished for its successful completion.
The "Mokpo Area Christian Modern History Museum" will be built in the area of 93-8 Bukgyo-dong with a total project cost of 10.22 billion won (funded by national, provincial, city, and private sources). It will have a total floor area of 1,584.17 square meters and consist of one basement floor and four above-ground floors, with completion scheduled for June 2027.
The museum will be developed as a complex cultural and experience space beyond a simple exhibition facility.
It is planned to operate as a space where citizens and tourists can experience history and culture together, featuring permanent exhibition halls using empirical relics and records, a media art room incorporating advanced technology, an experiential education space, a storage facility, a museum shop, and a cafe.
"The Mokpo Area Christian Modern History Museum is a meaningful space that sheds new light on Mokpo's modern history and missionary heritage," Mokpo Mayor Kang Sung-hwi said. "We will do our best to re-illuminate the region's historical value and establish it as a differentiated cultural tourism hub unique to Mokpo."
