Exploring Angel Mural Alley, Yeosu

Yeosu’s Angel Mural Alley, located in the quaint neighborhood of Goso-dong, is a winding series of paths featuring vibrant artworks sharing Yeosu’s unique local history and culture. The murals were first painted in 2009 by Yeosu residents looking to attract more tourists ahead of the 2012 Yeosu Expo. The route is 1,004 meters long, winding from Jinnamgwan— a historical building famously used by Admiral Yi Sun-Shin during the Imjin War—to the Yeosu Marine Park. Since the word “1004” sounds like the word “angel” in Korean (pronounced ‘cheon-sa’), the course was accordingly name “Angel Mural Alley.”

Today, the Angel Mural Valley attracts tourists from all over not only for its eccentric art pieces, but for its wonderful view of the city and sea. This post will walk you through Angel Mural Alley’s various winding streets and share information on how to get there, what to expect, and more. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Getting There

Angel Mural Alley is situated near many of Yeosu’s most popular attractions including the Yeosu Expo, Yi Sun-Shin Plaza, and the aforementioned Jinnamgwan. There are four different ways of entering: Jongpo Gate, Nangmanpo Gate, Jinnamgwan Gate, and Yi Sun-Shin Plaza Gate.

From the Yeosu Expo KTX Station, you can take bus no. 6, 7, 111, 109, or 2 from the Mandeok Intersection bus stop [만덕사거리] to the Jinnamgwan bus stop [진남관]. From there, cross the street using the overpass then follow signs for the Mural Alley. This will lead you to the back-end of the course on path 7.

Since I was coming from Odongdo Island, I opted to take a taxi directly into the neighborhood. The ride took about 10 minutes and cost about 5,000 won.

Exploring Angel Mural Alley

Angel Mural Alley has 9 official themed paths: (1) World of Childhood, (2) The Ocean: Scenery of Yeosu, (3) Daily Life: Cartoonist Huh Young-man Street (4) Animal Fantasy, (5) Yeosu’s Yesterday and Today, (6) Natural Scenery of the Four Seasons, (7) General Yi Sun-Shin’s Life Story (8) Yeosu’s 8 sights and (9) In the Sea.

World of Childhood

Path 1 features numerous murals of cartoon characters. I also came across a number of cute animals, including a pair of black cats posing next to their own portrait.

The Ocean: Scenery of Yeosu

Many of my favorite murals came from the “Scenery of Yeosu” section of the trail. The bold and contrastive colors used to depict the ocean really appealed to me.

There was also a picture of Yeosu’s iconic Haemel Lighthouse.

Cartoonist Huh Young-man Street

Huh Young-man is a manhwa (Korean comic) artist who was born and raised in Yeosu. While Huh originally wished to study western painting in college, because of his father’s failing business, decided to become an apprentice to a cartoonist instead. Huh debuting as a manhwa artist at the age of 27 and went on to create many popular comics series’ including the series “Tazza,” which was later adapted into the hit Korean film “Tazza: The High Rollers.” The walls along Path 3 are decorated with a number of his most popular characters.

*Fully Armed: “Do we have to wear painting gloves when we eat?”*

Cafés and Shops

At the start of Path 4 is Nangman Café (낭만카페), a chic muti-story café known for its picturesque views of the Yeosu harbor. It’s a nice place to relax and rest your feet while taking in Yeosu’s vivid scenery.

Along the trail are many other small shops, including this one named Peach Flavor, selling a variety of cute stationary and other Yeosu-themed items.

Landscapes

Turning left from Nangman Café are a number of murals of Yeosu’s iconic landmarks including Dolsandaegyo Bridge, the Yeosu Cable Car, and Yeongchwisan Mountain. I also later found this mural of Hyangiram Hermitage.

Admiral Yi Sun Shin’s Life Story

Admiral Yi Sun-Shin is one of Korea’s most famous historical figures, honored for his numerous successes against the Japanese in the Imjin War (1592–1598). The most well-known account of Yi Sun-Shin’s battle expertise comes from the Battle of Myeongnyang in which despite being allegedly outnumbered in ships 333: 13, he led Korea to victory. Yi Sun-Shin is also greatly associated with the “Turtle Ship”, a type of warship in which the top of the boat covered—resembling a turtle shell. This is because Yi Sun-Shin had improved upon ship’s design and used to win many of his battles. Yeosu was the base headquarters for many of Yi Sun-Shin’s naval operations during the Imjin War, marking him as an icon of Yeosu.

Yi Sun-Shin Statue and Turtle Ship Mural

Wrapping Up

Winding through the alleyways at the top of Angel Mural Alley offers a great view of the vibrant city of Yeosu below.

I wrapped up my tour on Path 9 with this amusing picture of a cat reading.

The city is also currently developing a new 10th coffee themed path, inspired by the number of nearby cafés. The beginnings of this course were evident by yet another cat-centric mural.

[the scent of warm coffee under the sunlight of the quaint afternoon…]

Nearby Attractions

After visiting Angel Mural Alley, I recommend checking out the nearby Yi Sun-Shin Plaza. Here, you can see a statue of Yi Sun-Shin along with a replica of the famous turtle ship. There are also a number of delicious restaurants serving up local cuisine including braised monkfish and mixed sole fish sashimi, aesthetic shops, and more!

Conclusion

That brings us to the end of our trip! In total, I spend about 2 hours in Angel Mural Alley: 1 hour at Nangman Café and 1 hour wandering the streets taking photos. Overall, I had a great time winding through the various alleyways and seeing all the different styles of artwork. While exploring the neighborhood, I was amazed by the vibrancy of not just the paintings, but of the city Yeosu as a whole.

I will note that I did visit the zones out of order, starting at Nangman Café, then going from there. Regardless of the route, I think Angel Mural Alley is a lot of fun —though, be prepared to encounter lots of stairs! If you’re looking for a fun, free way to connect to the local culture of Yeosu, I recommend checking out Angel Mural Alley.

Additional Information

Angel Mural Alley

Address: 전남 여수시 고소동 268

Nangman Café

Address: 전남 여수시 고소5길 11

Hours: Mon-Thurs: 10:00-21:00; Fri-Sun: 10:00-22:00

Peach Flavor Shop

Address: 전남 여수시 고소3길 51

Hours: Sat-Tues: 11:00-22:00; Wed-Fri: 11:00-20:00

Yi Sun-Shin Plaza

Address: 전남 여수시 선어시장길 6

Jinnamgwan

Address: 전남 여수시 동문로 11