Lighthouses of South Korea: Dangjin and Pyeongtaek

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 northern Chungcheongnam (Chungnam, or South Chungcheon) and southern Gyeonggi provinces on South Korea's west coast. At the provincial border, the ports of Dangjin in Chungcheongnam and Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi face each other across a common harbor.

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.

General Sources
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.

Haengdamdo Light
Haengdamdo Light, Dangjin; unattributed photo
probably by Pyeongtaek Regional Maritime Affairs Office

Northern Chungcheongnam Province Lighthouses

Seosan City (Daesan Harbor) Lighthouses
Daesan Hang
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); red flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower, painted red. No photo available, but Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a shoal off the tip of a peninsula on the west side of the entrance to Daesan Bay. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4156.48; NGA 17893.5.
Heugeodo
2003. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 6 s. 17 m (56 ft) round white concrete tower with gallery. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located at the northern point of an island off Daesan harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4156.67.
* Samgilpo Hang Breakwater
2009. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); red flash every 6 s. 13 m (43 ft) round concrete tower with a decorative lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is red. M.C. Han's photo is at right, Jeon Hyoung Bok has a photo, another photo and a third photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater at Samgilpo, near the eastern end of the Daesan waterfront. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. KR-3360.5; Admiralty M4156.97.

Dangjin County Lighthouses
Note: The border between Chungcheongnam and Gyeonggi provinces snakes irregularly through the adjoining harbors of Dangjin and Pyeongtaek.
Dangjin (Tangjin) Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); continuous light, white, red or green depending on direction. 27 m (89 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on an industrial wharf at Dangjin. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4162.62; NGA 17938.
Samgilpo Hang Light
Samgilpo Hang Light, Seosan, October 2011
Panoramio Creative Commons photo by M.C. Han
Dangjin (Tangjin) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); continuous white light. 30 m (98 ft) square west chimney tower of the Dangjin Power Plant. The tower is the one on the right in a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Site and tower closed. Admiralty M4162.621; NGA 17938.05.
Seonggumi Hang
2008. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is red. A photo is at right. The light is too new to appear in Google's satellite view, which shows the Seonggumi breakwater under construction. Located on the breakwater of Seonggumi harbor, at the western end of Dangjin. May be accessible by walking the pier. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4158.598; NGA 17897.
Bangdo (Pangdo)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); green flash every 6 s. 16 m (52 ft) round concrete tower. Upper half of the tower painted yellow, lower half black. No photo available; Google has a very distant satellite view of the island. Located on a rocky islet in the estauary between Daesan and Pyongtaek, Gyeonggi province. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4158.59; NGA 17898.
Naedo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); continuous white, red or green light, depending on direction. 30 m (98 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. No photo available, but Google has a good satellite view. This is a leading light for vessels entering Daesan and Pyongtaek harbors. Located at the east end of the Daesan waterfront. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4158.64; NGA 17902.
Godaeri
2006. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); red flash every 4 s. 7 m (23 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse is red with gray concrete block trim. A photo is available (second photo on the page), but the light is too new to appear in Google's satellite view. Located on a short pier about 4 km (2.5 mi) east of the Seonggumi lighthouse. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4158.645; NGA 17903.
Seonggumi Hang Light
Seonggumi Hang Light, Dangjin, September 2008
Pyeongtaek Regional Maritime Affairs Office photo
Hanjingak
2006. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); quick-flashing white light. 17 m (56 ft) round concrete tower, upper half painted black and lower half yellow. No photo available, and the lighthouse is not clearly visible in Google's satellite view. Located on a reef opposite Pyongtaek harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4158.86; NGA 17912.5.
Hanjin-ri
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); three quick white flashes every 10 s. 16 m (52 ft) round concrete tower, painted black with one yellow horizontal band. No photo available, and the lighthouse is not clearly visible in Google's satellite view. Located on a reef about 3 km (1.75 mi) northwest of the Seohae bridge. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4158.963; NGA 17912.7.
Yeongam (Yong-am)
2005. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); nine quick white flashes every 15 s. 14 m (46 ft) round concrete tower with double gallery, mounted on a round concrete pier. Lighthouse painted yellow with one black horizontal band. A closeup photo is available, but the lighthouse is not clearly visible in Google's satellite view. Located on what is probably a spoil island about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) northwest of the Seohae bridge. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4158.96; NGA 17912.8.
Haengdamdo
2006. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 6 s. 17 m (56 ft) steel sculpture; the tower is curved gracefully forming a loop at the top. Entire structure is red. A closeup photo is at the top of this page, a contemporary news article has a photo, Kitak Lee has a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. From a distance, this remarkable light looks like the tail of a diving sea monster (or perhaps a mermaid). Located on an island just north of the west (Dangjin) end of the Seohae bridge. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4158.965; NGA 17913.1.

Southern Gyeonggi Province Lighthouses

Ansan City: Pungdo Area Lighthouses
Note: Ansan City administers a number of islands that are in Gyeonggi Province but located across the entrance to Asan Bay, the harbor of Dangjin and Pyongtaek.
* Pungdo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); white flash every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) octagonal white concrete tower with gallery. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the northern tip of Pungdo, an inhabited island about 20 km (13 mi) northwest of Daesan. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4158.3; NGA 17936.
* Pungdo Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 9 m (30 ft) round red concrete tower with gallery. A photo and another photo (second photo on the page) are available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the main breakwater of Pungdo. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4158.4; NGA 17936.3.
Mallyukdo (Mallyukto)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); white flash every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) round white fiberglass tower. A distant view is available (halfway down the page), and Google has a satellite view. Located on an island marking the north end of a reef about 5 km (3 mi) east of Pungdo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4161; NGA 17937.
Haksanseo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 19 m (62 ft) round concrete tower, painted red. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the northern tip of an island off Daesan harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4160; NGA 17926.

Pyeongtaek City Lighthouses
Hanjin
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (49 ft); quick-flashing white light. 18 m (59 ft) round concrete tower, upper half painted black and lower half yellow. No photo available, and the lighthouse is not clearly visible in Google's satellite view. Located on a reef opposite Pyeongtaek harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4158.87; NGA 17912.6.
Pyeongtaek West Docks East Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 7 m (23 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a breakwater on the east side of the entrance to one of the harbor basins of Pyeongtaek. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4158.9; NGA 17912.3.
Maehyangni
2007. Active; focal plane 18 m (56 ft); green flash every 6 s. 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted green. A photo and a panoramic view are available, but the light is too new to appear in Google's satellite view. Located at the end of long breakwater at the entrance to Pyeongtaek harbor. The breakwater is awash at high tide and does not appear to be walkable. Site and tower closed. Admiralty M4158.57; NGA 17897.5.
Dorido (Torido)
1969. Active; focal plane 58 m (190 ft); white flash every 6 s. 9 m (30 ft) round white concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern dome red. A closeup photo (2/3 the way down the page) and a more distant view (1/3 the way down the page) are available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island off the north side of the entrance to Daesan and Pyeongtaek. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4159; NGA 17928.
Ippado
2007. Active; focal plane 119 m (390 ft); white flash every 10 s. 26 m (85 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse is white, lantern roof red. A photo is at right, and another closeup and a more distant view are available, but the lighthouse is too new to appear in Google's satellite view. Ippado is an island in the entrance to Dangjin and Pyeongtaek harbors. Located at the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4159.8.
Gukhwado North
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); six quick white flashes followed by one long white flash every 15 s. 19 m (62 ft) round concrete tower, upper half painted black and lower half yellow. A photo is available (second photo on the page), the light is at far left in a view from the sea, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Gukhwado is an island in the entrance to Dangjin and Pyeongtaek harbors, south of Ippado and close to the Dangjin shore. Located at the north end of a smaller island off the north end of Gukhwado. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4162.7.
* Gukhwado Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 6 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with white trim. A photo is available (first photo on the page), also a second photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the end of a breakwater pier at the northeast end of Gukhwado. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4162.75.
Gukhwado South
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); six quick white flashes followed by one long white flash every 15 s. 19 m (62 ft) round concrete tower, upper half painted yellow and lower half black. No photo available, and the tower is not seen in Google's satellite view. Located on a reef off the south end of Gukhwado. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty M4162.72.
Ippado Light
Ippado Light, Pyeongtaek; unattributed photo
probably by Pyeongtaek Regional Maritime Affairs Office

Hwaseong City Lighthouses
* Jebudo Hang
2007. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); red flash every 4 s. 9 m (30 ft) round tapered concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is red. A photo is at right, Sung-Hyun Kwon has a photo, and the Korea Tourism Organization has another photo, but the tower is too new to appear in Google's satellite view. Jebudo is an island off Hwaseong, connected to the city by a long causeway. Located at the northern end of the island. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4162.4.
* Jeongok Hang
2009. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is red. M.C. Han has a distant view and a somewhat closer view, but the lighthouse and the pier it marks are both too new to appear in Google's satellite view. Located at the end of the west pier of Jeongok harbor. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M4162.77.

Ansan City Lighthouse
*** Nueseom (Ansan, Silkworm Island)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 14 m (46 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, centered on a round 2-story museum building. There is an observation deck atop the museum. The lighthouse is in the distance in the photo at right, Min. Byungchul has a photo, a closeup photo and a second closeup are available, and Google has a good satellite view. Located on Nueseom (Silkworm Island), a small island just off Nueseom. Transportation from the city is available. Site open, museum open daily except Mondays and certain national holidays; the observation deck is open, but the light tower is closed. Admiralty M4162.8.
Jebudo Hang and Nueseom Lights
Jebudo Hang Light, Hwaseong, October 2008
(Nueseom Light, Ansan, seen in the distance)
Panoramio photo copyright Korea Tourism Organization

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Incheon Area | South: Taean

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Posted February 4, 2008. Checked and revised July 14, 2012. Lighthouses: 28. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.