Mokpo Gatbawi Rock

Gatbawi is a pair of rock columns standing in the shallows on the Mokpo shore, weathered by sea and wind into shapes that read as two figures wearing gat, the wide horsehair hats of the Joseon period - the resemblance is close enough that it needs no explaining. The rock is volcanic tuff, and the honeycomb pitting on the surface is the same tafoni weathering that eats into soft stone on exposed coasts. It is designated a natural monument, and the two forms, six to eight metres high, are known as father and son. Because standing on or near the rocks would damage them, viewing is from a floating walkway that runs out over the water and round them, lit at night, taking ten minutes to walk. The usual legend attaches: a son who failed his dying father, turned to stone in shame, with the smaller rock as the son. The Mokpo Natural History Museum and the ceramic museum are beside it, and the city's old Japanese-era streets are a short ride away.

The landscape

• The two hat rocks - the weathered tufa columns offshore.
• The honeycomb pitting - tafoni hollows across the surface.
• The floating walkway - the route out over the water.
• The night lighting - the rocks lit after dark.

When to go

Year-round; an hour covers it. Evenings for the lighting. The walkway can close in rough weather or high tide.

What to expect

It is a short stop, not a destination - viewing only, no access to the rocks. The walkway closes in bad weather. Pair it with the museums alongside.

Nearby

Mokpo's museums are next door; the old town and Yudalsan are in the city, and the ferries to the southern islands leave from the port.

Key facts