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. South Korea is divided into nine provinces and eight province-level cities. This page covers lighthouses of the northern half of the metropolitan (province-level) city of Busan on South Korea's southeast coast. With a population of more than 3.5 million, Busan (formerly spelled Pusan) is Korea's second largest city and largest port. The city faces the Korea Strait, which connects the East Sea (commonly called the Sea of Japan in the West) to the East China Sea. It stands on an intricate and rocky coast with numerous islands of all sizes offshore. The Busan metropolitan area has an extraordinary number of lighthouses, nearly 100 in all. This page includes the lighthouses of the northern sections of the area, including Gijang County and the urban districts of Haeundae and Suyeong. The northern suburbs have some of the most unusual lighthouses in the world; several are pictured on this page. 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. The name Korea, used internationally, is a Western version of Goryeo or Koryŏ (고려), the name of a kingdom that unified the country in the tenth century. From 1392 to 1897 the kingdom was known instead as Joseon or Chosŏn (조선). Today South Koreans usually call their country Hanguk (한국, literally "one country") and the official name of the Republic of Korea is Daehan Minguk (대한민국). Navigational aids in the ROK are regulated by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF). Management of lighthouses in Busan is the responsibility of the Busan Regional Oceans and Fisheries Administration. The Korean Hydrographic and Oceanographic Administration (KHOA) publishes notices to mariners. 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.
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Gijang County Lighthouses
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![]() Chiram Hang "Baseball" Light, Busan, May 2021 ex-Google Maps photo by Geun-ho Cho |
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![]() Hangni Hang East (left) and West Breakwater Lights, Busan, May 2020 Google Maps photo by Seungpyo Hong |
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Haeundae District Lighthouses
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![]() Suyeongman Light, Haeundae, July 2013 ex-Google Maps photo by Joseph Hollick |
Suyeong District Lighthouses
Notable faux lighthouses:
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![]() Millakdong East Breakwater Light, Suyeong, October 2020 photo copyright Jim Smith; used by permission |
Adjoining pages: North: Ulsan | South: Busan Harbor
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Posted December 4, 2007. Checked and revised March 20, 2025. Lighthouses: 42. Site copyright 2025 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.