When taking a flight to San Francisco, I always grab a window seat on the left side. Although sitting by the window is a bit inconvenient when nature calls, I do it because looking out the window as we approach the airport fills me with awe as the coastline, city, and mountains blend together. The long bridge and the shoreline of the bay are breathtaking, and the countless boats or yachts fit the scenery perfectly. The vague expectation of "I should ride one someday" remains an unburst water bubble still.

Passing through the Chevron refinery, I crossed the bridge. It is the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Crossing it reveals a quiet and relaxed atmosphere. Stopping by "Inverness," a village reminiscent of Danghangpo Bay, I saw a wooden boat half-burned. Its rusted engine still retains its shape. The propeller is gone, but the shaft transmitting power remains embedded as it was. When this boat was serving its full purpose, it used to be the star of photos complementing the background. How much longer will I be able to see this boat, living even more brilliantly in death?

Passing the village and winding mountain roads, all I could see were vast fields. Abandoned ranch houses appeared sparsely. Looking into the distance, I saw a herd grazing—it was a herd of elk. A herd of elk in this vast land? It feels like if I plowed it up with a few bulldozers and sowed flower seeds with a drone, it would become the finest flower garden in the world. Making a path through it and building a cozy café... Should I try cultivating it myself? While daydreaming this daydream, I reached the lighthouse.

Going down a long flight of stairs on the coast leads to the lighthouse. It is called the Point Reyes Lighthouse. Countless people visit, not minding the long road. The lighthouse itself is nothing special, but it illuminates the Pacific Ocean. Leaving the old one aside, they operate a newly built one. It is a blessing to take in the endless Pacific Ocean with your eyes and breathe in the fresh air that washes away stained lungs. If the timing is right, you can even see huge pods of whales migrating through the sea below.

Lighthouses are everywhere. Lighthouse keepers must have lived lonely yet righteous lives. The lighthouses I have seen over time are in several places. First was the Somaemuldo Lighthouse on a remote island in the South Sea. No one lived there except the lighthouse keeper, and since it was a small island without a dock, they experienced human presence only through occasional supply ships. They had to collect rainwater on the roof of a hut-like house to use, and during winters without rain, they even had to conserve drinking water. How did they survive those times when there wasn't even a telephone?

Passing Gapo in Masan, the Bisugumi Lighthouse in front of Deokdong guides ships navigating into Masan Bay (Happo Bay). It is an unmanned lighthouse. "Bisu" (飛水) means a place where water splashes or flows fast, and "Gumi" (口尾) refers to the end of the bay's entrance. Once you enter this place from Deokdong, you have to turn back out. It was a place where I occasionally had a cup of tea and walked or drove around. At a handspan-sized pier, three or four small boats flutter in the waves, making the lighthouse the background for a masterpiece when pointing a camera at it.

About 117 km away from Yeosu Port, in the distant southern sea, sits Geomundo Lighthouse on an island halfway between Yeosu and Jeju Island. It was lit in April 1905; the original lighthouse is preserved, and a newly built LED lighthouse nearby now illuminates the way. The path after getting off the boat is long and pleasant. Between 1885 and 1887, Britain illegally occupied and lived in Geomundo to check Russia's southward advance. It was called Port Hamilton. Observing this incident, Japan accumulated justifications to intervene in Joseon's affairs and used it as a pretext for the First Sino-Japanese War which broke out 9 years later. When the Donghak Peasant Revolution broke out in Joseon, government forces were overwhelmed and requested the intervention of Qing troops, prompting Japanese troops to push in and ignite the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War.

After the opening of Incheon Port in 1902, the entry and departure of foreign ships surged and route accidents occurred frequently. Pressured internationally, the Korean Empire established the Customs Lighthouse Bureau in 1902 to create modern navigation aids, and on June 1, 1903, lit the lighthouse lamps on Palmido and Sowolmido. In 1904, it lit the lamp on Budo, and in 1905, on Geomundo.

As you know, the waters off Incheon have a large tidal range, narrow channels, and many reefs, making nighttime navigation nearly impossible. Moreover, at that time, Palmido Lighthouse was occupied by North Korean forces. Less than three months had passed since the war broke out, and having been pushed all the way to the Nakdong River, they were trying to land in Incheon. A small infiltration team of a naval intelligence unit consisting of 17 members, including two U.S. military officers, fought through a desperate battle to light the lamp and saved the country. Seeing the flashing lighthouse lamp, a United Nations fleet of 260 ships landed at Incheon Port and recaptured Seoul within 13 days. General MacArthur said that the Palmido Lighthouse saved the country.

Unexpectedly, someone showed me around a lighthouse. Thanks to them, my unlit lighthouse was brightened. Such a thankful thing... / kieejo@naver.com

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]