Mokpo City: “Enjoy the 2026 Mokpo National Heritage Night Walk from October 30 to November 1”

【Financial News, Mokpo = Reporter Hwang Tae-jong】“Enjoy the 2026 Mokpo National Heritage Night Walk (Night Journey) from October 30 to November 1.”
 Mokpo City will hold the 2026 Mokpo National Heritage Night Walk across the Mokpo Modern History and Culture Space for three days starting October 30, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. 
 With “Modern Times, Mokpo’s Story of Opening Its Port 129” as its subtitle, the event will bring to life through performances and hands-on programs the scenes of modern Mokpo, which became an international port city through its independent opening of the port.
 The city is also joining forces with local universities, institutions, businesses and residents—including Mokpo National University, Mokpo National Maritime University, Mokpo Science University, the National Research Institute of Maritime Heritage, Maritime Region Yedamgo, the Mokpo Cultural Foundation, Bohae Brewery, Mokpo Takju and Mokpo Village Hotel—to make the event even richer.
 A Mokpo City official said, “Through this year’s Night Walk, we will widely promote the history of Mokpo, the country’s only city to have opened its port independently, and the value of its cultural heritage,” adding, “We will develop it into a festival where residents and tourists can enjoy themselves and connect with one another.”
 According to Mokpo City, the first day of the event will feature “Ode to Mokpo,” an original musical about the anti-Japanese resistance story of modern Mokpo. The themed performances over the three consecutive days will be presented by a coalition of local arts groups, depicting everything from the yearning for independence and struggle during Japanese colonial rule to the romance and music of modern Mokpo.
 As for the schedule by venue, at Modern History Hall No. 2, the “Dream Arts Troupe Plus Orchestra” will perform on the 30th at 8 p.m., bringing generations together with participants ranging in age from their teens to their 60s. This will be followed on the 31st at 7 p.m. by “Mokpo Scenery,” a modern Korean popular song concert, and on November 1 at 7 p.m. by “Mokpo Romance,” a jazz telling of the story of youth in Mokpo.
 At Gyeongdong Cathedral, “A Showcase of Namdo Master Singers” will feature Park Bang-geum and An Bu-deok, master singers and holders of Mokpo intangible heritage, together with their students. There will also be a traditional dance performance by the late U Bong Lee Mae-bang, a master dancer from Mokpo, and “Mokpo Dance Outing,” a Korean creative dance performance. Creatio Ria’s “Afterglow of Strings on a Moonlit Dance Path” and “Encounter—Breathing Deeply, Walking a New Dance Path” will evoke the atmosphere of an autumn night where the cathedral’s architecture, music and dance come together.
 The “Eurasian Highway Fringe” will be held on the National Highway Starting Point Small Park stage, where seven Mokpo National University arts and culture clubs, including “Samwonsek,” will present acoustic, vocal, band, hip-hop and dance performances.
 A wide range of exhibitions and hands-on programs for families will be held around the auditorium of the former Mokpo Public Simang Elementary School. They include “Jade Craft Demonstration and Exhibition with Commentary” by Jang Ju-won, a holder of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage in jade carving; the “Artist and Alley Classroom” art exhibition and activities; maritime relic experiences prepared by the National Research Institute of Maritime Heritage and Maritime Region Yedamgo; a mathematics, science and culture program by Mokpo National University introducing the principles of spatial geometry; an activity on “Using Electricity and Light Energy”; an experience assembling a model training ship hosted by Mokpo National Maritime University; and an activity making model life jackets for vehicles.
 In addition, traditional games called “Children’s Explorer Trail,” a mobile stamp tour and nonalcoholic cocktail-making will take place throughout the Modern History and Culture Space, while the Kkomjilak Lab will offer a ceramics activity.
 The walls of the Modern History Hall No. 2 building and nearby streets will host the “K-Art Light Show,” which makes use of cultural heritage, along with interactive media that invites audience participation. Visitors can try on “1935 Gyeongseong-Style Clothing” for free at the Traveler’s Rest Area. Food trucks and a craft-studio flea market will also fill the streets.
 In addition, at Mokpojin, the birthplace of Mokpo with a 600-year history, “Mokpojin Manho Salon” will offer a history tour of Mokpojin, Mokpo lunchboxes and Mokpo makgeolli to overnight visitors staying in Mokpo. “Sunset Sea Daydreaming,” a chance to relax amid the sunset, will also be held. Mokpo Village Hotel will run this program directly every day from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
 A Mokpo City official stressed, “At this event, we plan to reduce the use of disposable products by using reusable containers and make it an environmentally friendly festival.”
 The official also said, “We will operate a joint situation room with relevant institutions, deploy safety staff and traffic-control personnel at the event venue, and provide 699 spaces in public and temporary parking lots near the venue so visitors can enjoy the event comfortably.”

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