| 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 island counties of Wando and Jindo in Jeollanam Province, located on South Korea's southwest coast in the region formerly known as Jeolla or Cholla. Also included are several lighthouses located in the mainland counties of Gangjin and Haenam. The coast of Jeolla faces southwest on the East China Sea and west on the Yellow Sea. It is an intricate and rocky coast, with numerous islands of all sizes offshore. Although there are several famous and historic lighthouses on this coast, most of the more modern lights are not well known. 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. 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.
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Gangjin County Lighthouses
Wando County Lighthouses
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Southern Haenam County Lighthouses
Jindo County Lighthouses
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![]() Eoryongdo (Oebyongdo) Light, Jodo District, Jindo County Korean Association of Aids to Navigation photo |
Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: North: Sinan and Mokpo | East: Goheung Area | South: Jeju
Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key
Posted January 9, 2008. Lighthouses: 50. Checked and revised June 16, 2012. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.