Safety
Permanent lighthouse at Jokdo starts on 19 October
South Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries says a permanent lighthouse on Jokdo in Sinan County starts full operation on 19 October, for ships on the Jeju–Mokpo route including passenger ferries. The tower is 2.5 m in diameter and 11 m high. In clear weather the light reaches about 20 km.
Source: Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (opens in a new tab)
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said it has finished installing a lighthouse on Jokdo (족도) in Sinan County, and that the light begins full operation on Monday 19 October. The release is for the safety of passenger ferries and other ships on the Jeju–Mokpo route. It is marked for publication on the internet at 11:00 on Sunday 18 October 2026.
Around November last year, the passenger ferry 퀸제누비아 2호 grounded on a reef near Jokdo while bound from Jeju to Mokpo. From February this year the ministry has operated a temporary lighthouse on that reef.
The permanent lighthouse was built for about ₩700 million. The tower is 2.5 m in diameter and 11 m high. The temporary lighthouse was 0.3 m in diameter and 4 m high. In clear weather the light reaches about 20 km.
정도현, director general of the ministry's maritime safety bureau, said that with the Jokdo lighthouse newly put in order and in operation, it should be a great help in preventing accidents for ships sailing nearby, and that the ministry will keep expanding aids to navigation and maintain them thoroughly so ships can operate safely.