Jangsaengpo ({{Korean, hangul=장생포) is a port located in

Nam District, Ulsan Nam District () is a district of Ulsan, South Korea. Its name means "South District". As of 2023, the district's population was 314,301. History Nam District was established on July 15, 1985. On January 1, 1995, the district was consolidated after ...

, South Korea. It was famous of the hottest

whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...

place of Korean Peninsula before banning commercial whaling by IWC. Now, Jangsaengpo is a rising tourist attraction with Jangsaengpo whale museum, Whale ecological Experience Hall & Ulsan whale cruise.

History

The Jangsaengpo

originates from the establishment of the Pacific Fisheries Co., Ltd. by the Russian Emperor,

Nicholas II Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917. He married ...

in 1891. However, as Japan monopolized the whaling business after the victory of the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...

and overhauled whaling stations nationwide, Jangsaengpo drew attention as the center of the whaling business. After liberation, Korean people jointly took over the Japanese-run company and changed its name to Joseon Whaling Co., Ltd. This was the start of the history of Korean whaling. In the late 1970s when the whaling was at its zenith, Jangsaengpo held 20 whaling ships, with 10,000 residents. However, careless whaling reduced the catch and some species were even in danger of extinction by 1980. These drawbacks led the

International Whaling Commission The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is a specialised regional fishery management organisation, established under the terms of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) to "provide for the proper conservation ...

(IWC) to decide to ban

commercial whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...

in 1986, and eventually, the whaling industry was stopped. Then, as industrial complexes were created in the vicinity of Jangsaengpo and most of the residents moved away, the decline of Jangsaengpo resulted.

Tourist attractions

* Jangsaengpo Whale Museum & Whale Ecological Experience Hall: As the only whale museum in Korea, Jangsaengpo Whale Museum collects, maintains and displays whaling-related artifacts, which have been disappearing since 1986 when whaling was prohibited. It also provides a variety of information related to whales and marine ecosystems and is a space for education, research and experience. * Whale Cruise: Encounter whales in their natural environment when you take to the seas along a whale migration route. Since dolphins also migrate in groups, a chance of watching them could add to the unforgettable experience. The possibility for seeing whales is highest between June and August. Whale cruise reservations are available via internet only.

External links

Official websites
Ulsan whale festivalJangsaengpo whale museumTour guide of Ulsan
*http://www.whalecity.kr/whale/ – to book whale cruises Nam District, Ulsan Ports and harbours