Hongdo Island is located 115 kilometers southwest of Mokpo Harbor. It is composed of approximately 20 islands, and because it has an usual reddish-brown color about it, it is called Hongdo (Red Island). When the sun sets over the island, the whole area takes on a reddish hue.

The seashore is bordered by towering sea cliffs with diverse shapes of rocks. With the blue sea and green forest, it is one of the most spectacular sight in the South Sea. Hongdo Island has 33 officially designated beautiful sceneries, but the most famous of them all is the Hongdosipkyeong. Along with Nammun Rock and Seokhwagul Cave, Hongdosipkyeong shows off the beauty of Hongdo Island, and by taking a ferry to the island, visitors can see almost all of Hongdosipkyeong. It takes about 2 hours to go around the island. On the island, there are about 270 kinds of evergreens and 170 types of animals. As the government wanted to preserve the natural state of the island, it was designated as a Natural Preserved Area in 1965, and since 1981, has became part of Dadohae Marine National Park. The lush pine and chestnut trees forests serve as a native home of the very rare daeyeoppung reed.
Because the entire island of Hongdo has been declared a Natural Monument, people are not allowed to enter areas other than the villages and designated tourist areas. In addtion, for preservation purposes, visitors are not allowed to bring even a stone or a pocket of grass from the island.