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. 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 Daechongdo. Baengnyeondo 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. Baengnyongdo is only 16 kilometers (about 9.94 mi) from Cape Changsan in North Korea, and Yeonpyeondo is only 10 kilometers (about 6.21 mi) from the North Korean port of Pupori, making the islands much closer to North Korea.