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. 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). South Korea is divided into nine provinces and eight province-level cities. This page covers lighthouses of the city of Geoje in Gyeongsangnam (South Gyeongsang) province on South Korea's south coast. The city occupies Geojedo (also called Koje-do or Geoje Island), a large, irregularly-shaped island, roughly 30 km (19 mi) north to south and 20 km (13 mi) east to west, lying south of Changwon and east of Tongyeong (Chungmu). It is connected to the mainland near Tongyeong by two bridges, and the Busan-Geoje Fixed Link, a bridge-tunnel link that opened in December 2010, connects it to Busan. The city includes all of Geojedo as well as several smaller nearby islands. It has a population of about 240,000. Navigational aids in the ROK are regulated by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF). Management of lighthouses in Geoje is the responsibility of the Masan Regional Oceans and Fisheries Administration. The Korean Hydrographic and Oceanographic Administration (KHOA) publishes notices to mariners. 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. 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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![]() 1911 Banghwado Light, Geoje unattributed press photo |
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![]() Seongpo Hang East Breakwater Light, February 2011 ex-Panoramio photo by Kee-Hyuck Kim |
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![]() Geunpo North Breakwater Light, Daepo, April 2024 Google Maps photo by Michel S. |
Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: North: Changwon | East: Southern Busan | South: Hansan | West: Tongyeong
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Posted December 4, 2007. Checked and revised April 18, 2025. Lighthouses: 53. Site copyright 2025 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.