Lighthouses of South Korea: Changwon

This page covers lighthouses of the city of Changwon in Gyeongsangnam (South Gyeongsang) province on South Korea's south coast, west of the major port of Busan. Changwon, the capital of Gyeongsangnam, includes the former seaport cities of Jinhae (Chinhae) and Masan. In July 2010, the three cities merged as the Unified City of Changwon. The combined city has a population of more than one million.

For most of its history, Korea was an independent kingdom, or at least an autonomous kingdom under Chinese influence. This came to an end in 1910, when Japan annexed all of Korea. At the end of World War II in 1945, the 38° parallel was established as the dividing line between U.S. and Soviet zones of occupation, and in 1948 separate civil administrations were established in the two halves of the country. The Korean War (1950-53) ended in a draw, with the armistice line falling close to the prewar 38° line. The Republic of Korea (ROK), commonly called South Korea, occupies the Korean peninsula south of the armistice line.

Navigational aids in the ROK are regulated by the Ministry of Land, Transport, and Maritime Affairs (MLTM). MLTM also operates the major coastal lights, but management of harbor lighthouses is in the hands of local port authorities. Most if not all of the lights on this page are maintained by the Masan office of MLTM. In Korean, the word for a lighthouse is donghae (등대); dan is a cape, do is an island, and hang is a harbor .

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. KR numbers, where available, are from the Korean light list. Admiralty numbers are from volume M of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.

General Sources
Aids to Navigation Status
Light list (in Korean) posted by the MLTM office in Masan.
KAAN Major Lighthouse Information
KAAN is the Korean Association of Aids to Navigation. Click on the map for information concerning each province, and then scroll down for small photos. All the data is in Korean. An English version of the page has the names of the lighthouses, but no photos.

Songnaedo Light
Songnaedo Light, Masan, 2008
MLTM Masan photo

Busan Sin Hang (Busan New Port) Lighthouses
Note: These lights serve new port facilities being developed at the western edge of the Busan municipality. The port itself straddles the line between Busan and Jinhae, but the approach is mostly through channels within Jinhae.
Jangmal South Breakwater (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red flash every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower, painted red. No photo available; Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a breakwater at the southwestern corner of the new port development. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4351.2; NGA 16781.
* Angolpo Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red flash every 5 s. 11 m (36 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted red. A closeup and several other photos (1/3 the way down the page) are available, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located on the breakwater of a recreational harbor at the west end of the New Port development area. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4351.15.
Gadeokdo West Breakwater (2)
2008 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); green flash every 4 s. 27 m (89 ft) square concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. The tower sweeps upward in a 1/4-circle arc. Kim Cheol Hwan's photo is at right, there is an artist's drawing showing this light at the left and the East Breakwater West End Light (see Southern Busan) on the right, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater, which extends southeastward from Yeondo. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4351.3; NGA 16783.
Yeondo
2007. Active; focal plane 129 m (423 ft); white flash every 4 s. 29 m (95 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a small but high island in the entrance to Busan New Port. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4351.28.
Gadeokdo West Breakwater Light
Gadeokdo West Breakwater Light, Jinhae, October 2010
Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Kim Cheol Hwan

Jinhae Harbor Lighthouses
Gotdo Breakwater
2007. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); green flash every 4 s. 20 m (66 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Gotdo is an island at the southeastern end of Jinhae harbor, about 3 km (1.8 mi) northwest of Yeondo. Located at the end of a breakwater enclosing a small harbor on the northwest side of the island. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4345.31.
Jedeongman
Date unknown (recent). Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 19 m (62 ft) round concrete tower, painted black with one red horizontal band. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef northwest of Gotdo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4345.35.
Tokkiseom (Doggi Seom, Toggi Seom) (2)
2005 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 68 m (223 ft); white flash every 4 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, attached to a small 1-story service building. Lighthouse painted white. A photo is at right, Han Yoon-Sik has a view from the harbor, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small but high island in the entrance to the harbor of Jinhae. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4345; NGA 16792.
Sogodo (Jinhae, Umjido)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 13 m (43 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery, painted black with one red horizontal band. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on an isolated rock in the entrance to the harbor of Jinhae. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4345.3; NGA 16805.
Chorido (Ch'ori Do) (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 49 m (161 ft); white flash every 6 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, painted white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the west end of an island about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of the Doggi Seom light. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4344; NGA 16796.
Dochinyeo (Che Roe Channel Reef)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) round tower with gallery, painted black with one red horizontal band. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef on the east side of the southern entrance to the harbor of Jinhae, about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) west of the Chorido light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4343; NGA 16808.
Madangseo (Budo Sudo, Pudo Suido, Changwon)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 13 m (43 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery, painted black with one red horizontal band. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on an isolated rock in the entrance to the inner harbor of Jinhae. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4347; NGA 16800.
Jungjukdo (Chungjukdo, Chungjuk To)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 14 m (46 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery, painted black with one red horizontal band. In Angelika Bentin's photo of the harbor, the light is at the left, in front of the small island. Google has a satellite view. Located on an isolated rock in the very center of Jinhae harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4347.5; NGA 16802.
Tokkiseom
Tokkiseom Light, Jinhae
MLTM Masan photo
Jinhae Hang Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); green flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with gallery. The light is at the right edge of a photo of the harbor (click on the photo for enlargement), and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a short breakwater on the west side of Jinhae's inner harbor. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4347.7; NGA 16803.
Dotumariam (Dotumariseom) (2)
2007 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); red flash every 4 s. 14 m (46 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower with lantern and gallery, plus four piles supporting the gallery. Lighthouse painted black with one red horizontal band. No photo available, and Google's satellite view shows the earlier, shorter tower. Located at the east end of a reef at the western entrance to Jinhae harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4346; NGA 16804.

Masan Harbor Lighthouses
Makgaedo (Maggaedo, Makkae Do)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) round white concrete tower with gallery. A 2010 photo is at right, a more distant view is available, and Bing has a distant satellite view. Maggaedo is a small island in the main channel of Masan Bay about 6 km (3.5 mi) south of the city of Masan. Located on the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. KR 410-2107; Admiralty M4348; NGA 16816.
Masan Hang Detached Breakwater East End
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); green flash every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) round white concrete tower. Hogyun Jeong has a photo, and Bing has a distant satellite view. Located at the east end of the detached breakwater protecting the central section of the Masan waterfront. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4349.2; NGA 16813.
Masan Hang Detached Breakwater West End
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red flash every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) round red concrete tower. Seong Mugyeong has a photo of the lighthouse in silhouette, and Bing has a distant satellite view. Located at the east end of the detached breakwater protecting the central section of the Masan waterfront. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4349.3; NGA 16814.
Masan Hang South Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) round white concrete tower. A distant photo is available, and Bing has a distant satellite view. Located at the end of the south breakwater, marking the entrance to the inner harbor of Masan. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4348.7; NGA 16815.9.
Makgaedo Light
Makgaedo Light, Masan, April 2010
Panoramio photo copyright 315cycle; permission requested

Northwestern Geoje Bay Lighthouse
Wonjeon Hang Detached Breakwater East End
2007(?). Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green flash every 4 s. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, painted white. A photo of the two breakwater lights is available, and Google has a satellite view. Wonjeon Hang is a small-craft harbor on the southwest side of Jinhae Bay, northwest of the Dotumariam reef. Located at the east end of the detached breakwater. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4342.51; NGA 16817.4.
Wonjeon Hang Detached Breakwater West End
2007(?). Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red flash every 4 s. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, painted red. A photo of the two breakwater lights is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the west end of the detached breakwater. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4342.52; NGA 16817.5.
* Wonjeon Hang West Breakwater (2)
2007(?). Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green flash every 4 s. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, painted white. A closeup and a more distant view are available, and Google has a satellite view. There were many improvements to Wonjeon harbor in 2007; these included an extension of the west breakwater at a sharp angle with the original, plus construction of a detached, floating breakwater (see previous entries). Located at the end of the west breakwater. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4342.5; NGA 16817.3.
Sogyedo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower, painted black with one red horizontal band. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef in the northwestern corner of Geoje Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4341.9.
Songnaedo (2?)
2008 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a concrete pier. Lighthouse painted black with a red horizontal band. An MLTM photo is at right. Google has a satellite view of the reef that may show an earlier light. Located on a reef in the entrance to the northwestern corner of Geoje Bay, about 16 km (10 mi) southwest of the city's waterfront. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4340.984.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Southern Busan | South: Geoje

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Posted December 4, 2007. Checked and revised March 19, 2013. Lighthouses: 23. Site copyright 2013 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.