Exhibition of British National Treasure Lighthouse Relics in Korea

Signing ceremony for the Korea-UK Agreement on Leasing Lighthouse Relics held in London, UK

 The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Kang Do-hyung) announced that its Director General of Maritime Affairs and Safety Policy and the head of the UK Hydrographic Office signed the Korea-UK Agreement on Leasing Lighthouse Relics at 3:00 PM on Thursday, April 10 (local time) for the permanent lease of a UK national treasure-level lighthouse lens.

 The lenses used in lighthouses were invented in 1823 by French physicist Augustin Fresnel. Glass lenses installed at various angles focus the lighthouse light in one direction, helping ships see the lighthouse light from afar and navigate safely. Accordingly, Fresnel's lighthouse lens is also dubbed “the invention that saved a million ships.”

 The lighthouse lens to be leased is a first-class lens measuring 0.92 meters wide and 2.59 meters high. It was used for 123 years from 1900 at Pendyn Lighthouse in England and is considered to have high historical and cultural value. In Korea, there is only a record of a first-class lighthouse lens being installed at Ongdo Lighthouse, but no physical lens remains. Accordingly, if the lighthouse lens is brought into Korea, it will become a tourist attraction that introduces maritime culture to the public. It is also expected to serve as valuable data for research on the history of lighthouses around the world.

 After the signing of the Agreement, the lens will be transported to Korea via sea transport within this year after obtaining approval from the British monarch. The National Lighthouse Museum plans to manufacture the rotating structure at the bottom of the lens as an integral part of the lighthouse lens and exhibit it starting the first half of next year.

 “The signing of this Agreement is a symbolic achievement of Korea-UK maritime cooperation and is expected to be an important opportunity for Korea to grow into a global maritime cultural exchange center. I hope that introducing the lighthouse lens installed at a key location for global maritime trade—and which played a major role in connecting economic exchanges—to the public will enable them to understand maritime culture more deeply,” Minister Kang Do-hyung said.