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 (Daehan Minguk in Korean), occupies the Korean peninsula south of the armistice line. South Korea is divided into nine provinces and eight province-level cities; the provinces are subdivided into counties and cities. This page covers lighthouses of southern Chungcheongnam (Chungnam) province on South Korea's west coast, including the metropolitan city of Boryeong (Daecheon), Hongseong County, and the southern end of Seosan City. This coast faces west on the Yellow Sea (known in Korea as the West Sea). By Korean standards it is a relatively low coast, with a number of islands offshore. There are no major ports in the region, although Daecheon is a traditional fishing port. In 2000 South Korea adopted a Revised Romanization System to replace systems formerly used in the West. In the Revised System, the word for a lighthouse is deungdae (등대); dan (formerly tan) is a cape, seom (som) or do (to) is an island, am or amseog is a rock, man is a bay, and hang is a harbor. Some place names may be more familiar to Westerners in the spellings of older systems. Navigational aids in the ROK are regulated by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF). In the Boryeong area, the lights are maintained by the Gunsan Regional Oceans and Fisheries Administration. 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
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Boryeong (Daecheon) City: Ocheon Township Lighthouses
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![]() Nokdo North (left) and South Breakwater Lights, October 2012 ex-Daum.net Creative Commons photo by 금모래은 |
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![]() Godaedo Hang Light, Sapsido, June 2017 Google Maps photo by Taehoon Lee |
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Boryeong (Daecheon) City: Mainland Lighthouses
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Hongseong County Lighthouses
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![]() Jukdo Hang Light, Seobu, February 2023 Google Maps photo by Taekwon Kwon |
Southern Seosan City Lighthouse
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![]() Gungni Hang Light, Seobu, March 2019 Google Maps photo by 아울보니OwlBonny |
Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: North: Taean | South: Gunsan Area | Southwest: Okdo Islands
Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key
Posted February 4, 2008. Checked and revised June 16, 2024. Lighthouses: 42. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.