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Archipelago

    South Korea

    37°41′N 126°20′E

    Five West Sea Islands

    The Five West Sea Islands (also called the Five Islands of the West Sea or the Northwest Islands) (Korean: 서해오도; Hanja: 西海五島) refers to the five islands in the West Sea (Yellow Sea) administered by Incheon, South Korea. They are Yeonpyeongdo, Baengnyeongdo, Daecheongdo, Socheongdo and Soyeonpyeongdo.

    Baengnyeong Island - Korea’s northernmost point in the Yellow Sea.
    Baengnyeong Island - Korea’s northernmost point in the Yellow Sea.

    Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (Jeon Han) / CC BY-SA 2.0

    Chart

    26 landforms

    Overview

    The Five West Sea Islands (also called the Five Islands of the West Sea or the Northwest Islands) (Korean: 서해오도; Hanja: 西海五島) refers to the five islands in the West Sea (Yellow Sea) administered by Incheon, South Korea. They are Yeonpyeongdo, Baengnyeongdo, Daecheongdo, Socheongdo and Soyeonpyeongdo. Their positions are much closer to North Korea as these islands are originally part of Hwanghae Province and their sovereignties are claimed by North Korea, but they are controlled by South Korea since the United Nations forces established the Northern Limit Line (NLL) north of the islands in 1953 following the Korean War. The only way to reach any of the five islands is by ferry. Three round trips are made every day from Incheon Harbor to Baengnyeongdo, with stops at Socheongdo and Daecheongdo. Baengnyeongdo is about 200 kilometers (about 124.27 mi) by boat from Incheon, making it the farthest island in the archipelago. A one-way trip takes about four hours. Baengnyeongdo is only 16 kilometers (about 9.94 mi) from Cape Changsan in North Korea, and Yeonpyeongdo is only 10 kilometers (about 6.21 mi) from the North Korean port of Pupori, making the islands much closer to North Korea.

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Census, cataloged

    • Major islands2
    • Minor islands4
    • Islets13
    • Rocks & skerries7

    Major islands

    2
    • Baengnyeongdo

      Baengnyeongdo

      Area
      52.7 km²
      High point
      184 m

      Baengnyeongdo (Korean: 백령도; Korean pronunciation: [pɛŋnjʌŋdo]), sometimes Baekryeong Island, is an island in Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea. It is an inhabited island located near the Northern Limit Line, and is closer to North Korea than it is to the South Korean mainland.

    • Daecheongdo

      Daecheongdo

      Area
      13.5 km²
      High point
      343 m

      Daecheongdo or Daecheong Island is a 12.63 km2 (4.88 sq mi), 7 km (4.3 mi) long and 6.3 km (3.9 mi) wide island in Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea, near the Northern Limit Line.

    Minor islands

    4

    Islets

    13
    • 구지도40 m · 0.08 km²
    • Unnamed island2 m · 0.01 km²
    • Unnamed island2 m · 0.5 ha
    • Unnamed island2 m · 0.5 ha
    • 당도4 m · 0.5 ha
    • Unnamed island0.4 ha
    • 비도4 m · 0.3 ha
    • Unnamed island0.3 ha
    • 비도8 m · 0.2 ha
    • Unnamed island3 m · 0.2 ha
    • Unnamed island4 m · 0.2 ha
    • Unnamed island2 m · 0.2 ha

    Rocks & skerries

    7
    • Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    • Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    • Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    • Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    • Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    • Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    • Unnamed island<0.1 ha

    Figures

    Comparative heights

    Sea level100 m200 m300 m400 m343 mDaecheongdo214 mSoyeonpyeongdo184 mBaengnyeongdo174 mSocheongdo113 mDaeyeonpyeong69 mU40 m구지도8 m비도4 m당도4 m비도
    High points by island, metres above sea level.

    Islands by area

    0.00010.0010.010.1110100Baengnyeongdo: 52.7 km²BaengnyeongdoDaecheongdo: 13.5 km²DaecheongdoDaeyeonpyeong: 6.8 km²DaeyeonpyeongSocheongdo: 3.3 km²SocheongdoSoyeonpyeongdo: 1.2 km²SoyeonpyeongdoU: 0.27 km²U구지도: 0.08 km²구지도Unnamed island: 0.01 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.5 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.5 haUnnamed island당도: 0.5 ha당도Unnamed island: 0.4 haUnnamed island비도: 0.3 ha비도Unnamed island: 0.3 haUnnamed island비도: 0.2 ha비도Unnamed island: 0.2 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.2 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.2 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.1 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: <0.1 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: <0.1 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: <0.1 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: <0.1 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: <0.1 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: <0.1 haUnnamed islandUnnamed island: <0.1 haUnnamed island
    km², log scale
    Baengnyeongdo52.7 km²
    Daecheongdo13.5 km²
    Daeyeonpyeong6.8 km²
    Socheongdo3.3 km²
    Soyeonpyeongdo Island1.2 km²
    U Island0.27 km²
    구지도0.08 km²
    Unnamed island0.01 km²
    Unnamed island0.5 ha
    Unnamed island0.5 ha
    당도0.5 ha
    Unnamed island0.4 ha
    비도0.3 ha
    Unnamed island0.3 ha
    비도0.2 ha
    Unnamed island0.2 ha
    Unnamed island0.2 ha
    Unnamed island0.2 ha
    Unnamed island0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha

    Groups within

    1

    Sources

    Facts

    • Geometry, areas and high points: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Copernicus GLO-30, via Talus.
    • Wikidata
    • Wikipedia

    Photographs