Lighthouses of South Korea: Goheung Area

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.

This page covers lighthouses of the Goheung Peninsula area on the south coast of Korea, west of Yeosu. Also included are lighthouses of the Geomundo archipelago and other islands lying south of Goheung County in the Korea Strait; these islands comprise the Samsan district (Samsanmyeung) of Yeosu City. This is an intricate coast, with countless small islands and reefs requiring the greatest care from navigators.

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 of the lighthouses on this page are maintained by the Port of Yeosu. 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. 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
Port of Yeosu - Navigational Aids: This site has a map of navigational aids in the Yeosu area and links to information pages for the major lighthouses (all in Korean).
Kiso's Lighthouses - Korea: Photos posted by a Japanese lighthouse fan.

1905 Geomundo Light, Seodo, Yeosu
Yeosu Port Office photo

Goheung County Lighthouses

Dongil District Lighthouses
Note: The Dongil district includes the island of Naenarodo, off the southeastern end of the Goheung Peninsula, and associated small islands. The population of the district is about 1800.
Naenarodo: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 100 m (328 ft); white flash every 5 s. 5.5 m (18 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. Located on the heights at the southeastern corner of Naenarodo. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4304; NGA 17272.
Samam (Samamdo): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); nine quick white flashes every 15 s. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower, painted yellow with one black horizontal band. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. Located on a reef just off the west point of Naenarodo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4300.3; NGA 17282.
Bongrae District Lighthouses
Note: The Bongrae district includes the island of Oenarodo, separated from Naerarodo by a narrow channel, and associated small islands. The population of the district is about 2300.
Juinyeo (Chuinyo): 1993. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, painted black with one red horizontal band. Google has a satellite view. Located on a rock about 3.2 km (2 mi) east of Oenarodo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4303; NGA 17231.
Taengmunam (Taekmunam): 2007. Active; focal plane 19 m (69 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 21 m (69 ft) round concrete tower, painted black with a red horizontal band. Located on a shoal about 8 km (5 mi) east of Oenarodo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4302.5; NGA 17231.1.
Tanggeonyeo (Tanggeon Yeo): 1927. Active; focal plane 52 m (171 ft); white flash every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) octagonal white concrete tower. Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island about 8 km (5 mi) south of Oenarodo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4302; NGA 17268.
Narodo West Breakwater: 1967. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); green flash every 6 s. 13 m (43 ft) octagonal white concrete tower mounted an an octagonal base. Bing has a satellite view. Located at the end of the west breakwater of Narodo. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4301; NGA 17284.
Aedo (Sayangdo (2)): 2007. 10.5 m (34 ft) round white concrete tower with gallery. Google has a good satellite view. This lighthouse replaced the Sayangdo light. Located on the south side of the entrance to Sayang harbor. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4300; NGA 17280.
Sayangdo (Sayang Do) (1): Date unknown. Inactive since 2007. 10.5 m (34 ft) round white concrete tower with gallery. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the southern tip of Sayangdo, an island off the northwestern tip of Oenarodo and on the north side of the entrance to Sayang harbor. Site status unknown.
Dohwa District Lighthouses
Note: The Dohwa district includes the coast at the southern end of the Goheung Peninsula. The district has a population of about 4800.
* Naebal Hang: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); green flash every 5 s. 8 m (26 ft) octagonal white concrete tower. A distant view is available, and Bing has a distant satellite view. Located on the west breakwater of Naebal harbor. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4299.75; NGA 17273.
Jijukdo (Chijukdo, Chijuk-to): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); six quick white flashes followed by one long white flash, every 15 s. 21 m (69 ft) round tower, upper half painted yellow and lower half black. No photo available, but Bing has a distant satellite view. The lighthouse marks an obstruction in a very narrow passage at the southern end of the Goheung peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4299.72; NGA 17227.
Gamdeungseo: 2005. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, painted black with one red horizontal band. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a rock on the north side of the narrow channel on the north side of Geogeumdo, off Pungnam. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4298.55.
Doyang District: Nokdong and Sorokdo Lighthouses
Note: Nokdong (formerly called Doyang) is a port at the southwestern tip of the Goheung Peninsula, sheltered by the large island of Sorokdo. The strait separating Sorokdo from Nokdong is roughly 400-500 m (1/4 mi) wide; it has been enclosed by breakwaters at both ends to create the harbor.
Nokdong Hang Detached Breakwater North Head: 1993. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 8 m (26 ft) octagonal concrete tower with gallery, painted red. A photo shows this light on the left, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. This light and the previous one frame the western entrance to Nokdong harbor. Located on the north end of a detached breakwater opposite the North Breakwater Light. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4299.4; NGA 17299.

* Nokdong Hang North Breakwater: 1999. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 8 m (26 ft) octagonal white concrete tower with gallery. The light is seen to the right of the Sorokdo Bridge in Jan de Fietser's photo, it's on the right in another photo, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located on the breakwater in Nokdong at the northwestern entrance to the harbor. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4299.2; NGA 17298.
Sinheung (Sinhung): 2003. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted black with one red horizontal band. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a shoal off the western coast of the Goheung Peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4299.68; NGA 17300.5.
Duwon District Lighthouse
Deungnyangman: 2008. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); nine quick white flashes every 15 s. 14 m (46 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with double gallery, painted black with one yellow horizontal band. The tower is too new to appear in Google's satellite view. Located on a shoal off the northwestern coast of the Goheung Peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4299.67.

Yeosu City Samsan District Lighthouses

Sonjukdo Area Lighthouses
Note: Sonjukdo is an island about 20 km (13 mi) south of the Goheung peninsula.
Daeduyeog Seo: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); white flash every 5 s. 6 m (20 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available, but Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a skerry about 18 km (11 mi) east southeast of Sonjukdo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4300.6; NGA 17264.
Sonjukdo (Sonjuk Do): 1981. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 15 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped white concrete tower. Bing has a satellite view. Located on a skerry just off the northwestern tip of Sonjukdo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4300.4; NGA 17232.
Jimudo (Chimudo): 1998. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 17 m (56 ft) round concrete tower, painted white. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. Located on an islet about 15 km (9 mi) southwest of Sayang and 5 km (3 mi) north of Sonjukdo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. NGA 17262.
Chodo Area Lighthouses
Note: Chodo is an island about 25 km (15 mi) south of the Goheung Peninsula and 15 km (9 mi) north of Geomundo.
Junggyeoldo (Chunggyolto, Podunaji): 2000. Active; focal plane 78 m (256 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower. Google's distant satellite view may show the lighthouse. Located on a steep-sided island about 6 km (3.5 mi) north of the northern tip of Chodo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4296.8; NGA 17233.
Chodo East: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); three quick white flashes every 10 s. 11 m (36 ft) round concrete tower, painted black with one yellow horizontal band. No photo available, but Google has a very distant satellite view of the location. Located on a reef off the east side of Chodo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4295.2; NGA 17236.1.
Chodo: 1982. Active; focal plane 55 m (180 ft); white flash every 6 s. 7 m (23 ft) round hourglass-shaped white concrete tower. Google's distant satellite view does not reveal the small tower. Located on the southern tip of Chodo. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4295; NGA 17236.
Chodo (Cho Do) Breakwater: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); green flash every 5 s. 13 m (43 ft) octagonal concrete tower, painted white. The tower does not appear in Google's fuzzy satellite view. Chodo is a substantial island in the Korea Strait, about 6 km (3.5 mi) long and about 30 km (19 mi) southwest of Sayang. Located at the end of the north breakwater of Chodo harbor. Site status unknown. NGA 17234.
Sangbaekdo Lighthouses

Sangbaekdo (Habaegdo, Habaekdo, Habaeg Do)

1968. Active; focal plane 160 m (525 ft); white flash every 6 s. 7.5 m (25 ft) square cylindrical white concrete tower. In a distant photo of this major navigational hazard, Sangbaekdo is the island on the left, and at high magnification (click on the photo) the lighthouse can be seen on the highest point. Google has a distant satellite view of the reef. Located on a pinnacle about 25 km (15 mi) east of Geomundo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4294; NGA 17260.

Munseo

2006. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 4 s. 18 m (59 ft) octagonal cylindrical white concrete tower with double gallery, mounted on an octagonal concrete base. A photo is at right, but Google's satellite view is too distant to show the lighthouse. Located on a rocky reef about 8 km (5 mi) north of Sangbaekdo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4294.3; NGA 17260.5.

Munseo Light, 2006
Yeosu Port Office photo
Geomundo Lighthouses
Note: Geomundo is a small group of islands in the Korea Strait about 40 km (25 mi) southeast of Wando and 60 km (37.5 mi) northeast of Jeju (Cheju). The two principal islands, Seodo on the west and Dongdo on the east, shelter a magnificent harbor between them. As a result, the islands have strategic importance, and the British maintained a naval station on them in the 1880s. Today the islands are a popular tourist destination, with the historic light station as a major attraction. The islands are attached administratively to Yeosu City.
Sosambudo: 2003. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white flash every 6 s. 13 m (43 ft) octagonal cylindrical white concrete tower with gallery. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. Located at the eastern tip of a small island about 5 km (3 mi) northeast of the Geomundo lighthouses. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4293.5; NGA 17243.
Banyeo (Pan Yeo): 1987. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with double gallery. Lighthouse painted black with one red horizontal band. Located on a shoal about 1.5 km (1 mi) north of Geomundo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4293; NGA 17246.
* Noksangot (Nogsan Got) (1): 1958. Inactive since 2005. 9 m (30 ft) round white concrete tower with gallery. No photo available. Site open, tower closed.
* Noksangot (Nogsan Got) (2): 2005 (station established 1958). Active; focal plane 95 m (312 ft); white flash every 6 s. 9 m (30 ft) octagonal white concrete tower with gallery. A closeup photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the northern point of Seodo. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4292; NGA 17248.
Dongdo North Breakwater: 2000. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); green flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with double gallery, painted white. This light and the next frame the north entrance to the protected harbor of Geomundo. This light is on the right in a view looking north, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located at the end of a short breakwater at the northwestern point of Dongdo. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4292.5.
Seodo North Breakwater: 2000. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); red flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with double gallery, painted red. This light is on the left in a view looking north, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located at the end of a short breakwater at the northeastern point of Seodo. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4292.51.
* Seodobang Breakwater: 1985. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 9 m (30 ft) octagonal white concrete tower with gallery. The 1-story building next to the lighthouse is probably a harbor master's office. Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a pier in northern Seodo, a short distance inside the harbor entrance. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4291.
Geomundo Hang North Breakwater (Dongdo South Breakwater): 1989. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 4 s. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, painted red. No photo available, but Bing has a distant satellite view. (Almost certainly this light is a twin of the next entry.) This light and the next frame the southern entrance to the protected harbor of Geomundo. Located at the end of a 1 km (0.6 mi) long breakwater extending from the southwestern point of Dongdo. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4287; NGA 17252.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Yeosu | South: Jeju | West: Wando and Jindo

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