Korea's Naples — a harbour city of cable cars, oysters, and Admiral Yi Sun-sin's naval command
Tongyeong (formerly Chungmu) sits on a peninsula jutting into the Korea Strait, surrounded by 570 islands and widely called the 'Naples of Korea' for its southern Mediterranean light and hillside character. The city is built on the legacy of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who based his famous turtle ship (Geobukseon) naval command here during the 1592 Japanese invasion — the Tongyeong Fortress and the Hansan Island naval base site remain. A cable car rides to 461m Mireuksan for panoramic views across the archipelago. The city is famous for oysters, gulfangyogurt, and bibimbap variations, and was the bir…
Tongyeong was established as the headquarters of the Three Provinces Naval Command in 1604, just after the Imjin War — the peninsula's superb natural harbour and island screen made it ideal for controlling the Korea Strait. Admiral Yi Sun-sin's turtle ship (Geobukseon) — armoured with iron plates and the world's first ironclad warship — was built and deployed from this coastline in 1592, defeating larger Japanese fleets at the Battles of Hansan Island and Myeongnyang. The city was known as Chungmu (Loyal to the Nation) until it reverted to its original name in 1995.