Goseong-ri, South Korea

Goseong-ri: Submarine Cable Landing Point

Goseong-ri is a submarine cable landing point located in South Korea. As a coastal landing point, it serves as a node within South Korea's domestic submarine cable network, hosting three submarine cables that connect the Korean mainland to Jeju Island and the smaller island of Udo. All three cables operate entirely within South Korean waters, making Goseong-ri a dedicated domestic connectivity hub rather than an international gateway.

The three cables landing at Goseong-ri span a combined corridor linking the mainland to Jeju Island and its neighboring Udo Island. The shortest of these connections stretches just 3 km, while the longest reaches 236 km, reflecting the range of inter-island distances served from this single landing point. Together, these cables represent a sustained investment in domestic island connectivity spanning nearly three decades, from 1996 through 2023.

Cables Landing at Goseong-ri

Jeju-Mainland 2 is a 191 km submarine cable that reached ready-for-service status in 1996. It connects landing points within South Korea, forming part of the early infrastructure linking Jeju Island to the Korean mainland. This cable was among the first submarine cables to enter service in South Korea's national network.

Jeju-Mainland 3 spans 236 km and reached ready-for-service status in 2000. Like its predecessor, it connects points within South Korea, providing an additional inter-island link between the mainland and Jeju Island. At 236 km, it is the longest of the three cables landing at Goseong-ri.

Jeju-Udo is a notably short cable at just 3 km, reaching ready-for-service status in 2023. It connects landing points within South Korea, specifically serving Udo Island. Its 2023 commissioning makes it the most recently activated cable at this landing point and one of the shorter submarine cables in South Korea's network.

Regional Context

Among South Korea's ten submarine cable landing points, Goseong-ri ranks in the top 90% by cable count, hosting three cables compared to the ten cables at Busan, the largest hub in the country. Geoje hosts two cables, while Goheung, Gunsan, Hosan-ri, and Mijo-myeon each host one. Goseong-ri's three cables place it as a moderately active domestic landing point within the national network.

Network Role

Goseong-ri functions as a multi-cable domestic terminus, connecting the South Korean mainland to Jeju Island across two separate cable systems and extending onward to Udo Island via a third, shorter link. All three cables operate entirely within South Korean territory, positioning Goseong-ri as a node dedicated to inter-island domestic connectivity rather than international transmission. The cables landing here span different eras of deployment, from 1996 to 2023, indicating that this landing point has been progressively reinforced over time.

Within South Korea's broader submarine cable graph, Goseong-ri occupies a specific domestic role distinct from internationally oriented hubs such as Busan. Its concentration of Jeju-bound and Udo-bound cables means that this landing point anchors a defined geographic corridor within the national network, serving islands that depend on submarine cable infrastructure for their terrestrial connectivity to the mainland.