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| ▲ This photo, provided by the Incheon Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries, shows the Palmido Lighthouse. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo, provided by the Incheon Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries, shows the Lighthouse in 1973. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Jan. 17 (Yonhap) – 2023 will mark the 120th anniversary of the Palmido Lighthouse – the first lighthouse in South Korea and also the most historically significant, as it served as a focal point during the Battle of Incheon in 1950.
As the oldest modern lighthouse in South Korea, the Palmido Lighthouse has also been deemed South Korea’s most antiquated concrete building with 120 years of history. The lamp on the top of this 7.9-meter-tall Lighthouse was lit in June of 1903.
Since Palmido, a small island 15.7 km southwest of Incheon port, is located on the way to and from Incheon, the construction of the lighthouse was a decision following the laws of nature. After the Port of Incheon opened in 1883 as the gateway of South Korea’s largest economic region, Western powers demanded the construction of lighthouses for the sake of safe passage of ships entering Joseon, and the South Korean government covered the construction costs with customs revenue it had profited at the Port.
The Palmido Lighthouse, which led ships to Incheon, also played a pivotal role in turning the table in South Korea’s favor during the Korean War: During the Battle of Incheon on Sept. 15, 1950, the Lighthouse was lit up to unveil the sea route through which the Allies could arrive in Incheon. The intelligence units belonging to the U.S. Far East Command came into Palmido, which was then dominated by the People’s Army, annihilated the enemy, and lit the lamp of the Lighthouse.
In recognition of such historical values, the Palmido Lighthouse was earmarked as a state-designated cultural heritage site on Sept. 15, 2020, on the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Incheon.
Now that the Lighthouse will be having its 120th anniversary, the Incheon Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries will be holding a commemorative event on June 1 by inviting related agencies and retired public officials. In celebration of this historically valuable heritage, the lamp of the Palmido Lighthouse, which has not been lit since 2003 due to the aging of the facility, will also be lighting up again during the ceremony. The last time the Lighthouse had its lamp lighten up was in 2013, during its 110th anniversary ceremony.
The Palmido Lighthouse has been having its period of hiatus since 2003, the 100th anniversary of its lighting, and an advanced modern lighthouse was installed to take over its job. The old Palmido Lighthouse used to be lit up by operators who always checked the date and time, turned on the lights after sunset, and then turned them back off before sunrise.
However, the advanced lighthouse is now automatically turned on and off; it is also equipped with a large beacon that can brighten the sea path up to 50km with its beaming light glimmering every 10 seconds. A satellite for differential global navigation satellite system is implemented as well for observing the change in weather and coastal waters.
In order to mark its 120th anniversary of lighting, the Incheon Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries will be carrying out the “Daily Lighthouse Captain” program to provide 60 elementary school students with opportunities to observe and experience how lighthouses light up. The Regional Office is also planning for an exhibition displaying the mesmerizing lighthouses nationwide to inform citizens of the significance of lighthouses.
“The lighthouse is more than a mere facility that lights up; it servers a complex function as a tourist resource,” an official from the Incheon Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries said. “We hope that the 120th anniversary of the lighting of Palmido Lighthouse would deliver such importance of lighthouses.”
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)
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