The history of aids to navigation in Korea

From old days, torch, signal fire, and gongs were used as aids to navigation for the ships' safe sailing to the destination. In late 1800's, as the sailing became more frequent due to the advance of the western ships to
the east and the opening of Busan, Incheon, Wonsan ports our country also recognised the need to install systematic aids to navigation.
In 1894, Gongmuamun Dungchoonguk(Communication Department) began to take charge of it and made
the master plan for the investigation of locations for lighthouses construction and established Haekwan Dungdaeguk(Maritime Lighthouse Center)in march 1902.
From May of the same year, they started to build Palmi-do, Sowolmi-do lighthouse, Bukjangjaseo and Baekamdongpyo at the entrance of Incheon port.

The history of National Lighthouse Museum

Aids to navigation played a great role in the industrialization of Korea. But old facilities and equipments related to it are disappearing gradually in accordancce with the change of the time. Considering this, we opened the nation-only lighthouse museum permantly to preserve and descend all the relics and to inform the importance of the aids to navigation and to instill love to the ocean. The museum was opened in Feb, 7,1985 at Homigot where Homigot Lighthouse(Gyeongangbuk-do Monument, No.39) having high historic value is located.

History of the Museum