The Daebo area (where the Homigot Lighthouse is located) has beautiful
scenery. The name comes from ho (tiger), mi (tail), and got (small port).
Koreans believe that the Korean map resembles a tiger, and the location of Homigot lighthouse is right
on the tiger's tail. During the Japanese occupation (1910-45), the Japanese changed the name of this
place to Janggigot (jang means rabbit and gi means tail) in an effort to destroy
Korea's dignity. The name reverted back to Homigot after 1945, although many maps and road
signs still list the name as Janggigot.
Homigot Lighthouse is Korea's tallest at 26.4 meters, and was designated
as Local Cultural Asset #39. It has a Western style octagonal architecture and was built after an
incident in 1901 in which a Japanese ship hit a submerged rock and sank along the nearby shore.
Designed by French architects and built by Chinese constructors, construction finished in December
1903. Even contemporary architects admire it because the brick structure was built without iron-reinforced
rods and it is narrow from the foundation, different than other high-rise structures. It has six stories
inside and each ceiling is decorated with a pear tree flower pattern, symbolizing the Chosun Dynasty's
royal family.
The nearby lighthouse museum contains over 700 items related to the lighthouse, including an indicator
for light waves, indicator for electric waves, indicator for the sea lane, and an indicator for sonic
waves. It also includes many tools and parts used in the lighthouse and its construction, as well as
several related foreign books and photos. It is closed until the end of 2000 for construction.
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