In January 1976, Geomsan Village in Sinan County, South Korea was a small, quiet village inhabited by a few fishermen. Choi Pyeong-ho, a teacher at an elementary school in Mokpo, had just returned to his hometown of Sinan to perform a ritual to honor his ancestors. After the ritual, while having a drink with his brothers, he heard unexpected news from his brother-in-law.
Choi's brother, who was engaged in fishing, had recently recovered something unusual from the sea. The item was a large celadon vase measuring 44 cm in height and 65 cm in circumference, found in the coastal waters of Sinan. Sensing that the celadon vase was not an ordinary item, Choi decided to report it as a relic to the authorities.
With the help of a county government official, Choi arranged to have the celadon vase appraised. A few days later, when the appraisal results came out, Choi and everyone else were surprised. At that time, the celadon vase was valued at $100,000, equivalent to 30 million won, or about 300 million won today. The vase was made during the Yuan Dynasty in China, about 700 years ago.
"About a week later, it was determined to be a relic from the Songwondae site. We were surprised because it was declared a treasure," said Nam Sang-ryul, a public servant at Sinan County Office at the time, according to Maeil Business.
Upon hearing the news, the villagers were in a frenzy. Everyday items like dog bowls and ashtrays lying around the village could be treasures worth 30 million won. The sea in front of the village was a huge treasure trove hiding secrets.
After the news spread, treasure hunters secretly came to the village, and the newcomers were thieves. The treasure hunters dug up 117 items from the Sinan sea and were caught selling them for up to 5 million won each. "That Choi guy, he reported it and only received 400,000 won. Then it's better to sell it; who would report it?" said a tomb raider named Jo, according to Maeil Business.
The Cultural Heritage Administration was shocked by the news and thrown into chaos. To protect cultural heritage from treasure hunters, employees of the Cultural Heritage Administration and professors specializing in cultural heritage took action. There had never been a case of excavating relics from the seabed in Korea before. After much deliberation, the investigation team requested help from the Navy's Maritime Rescue Team and Special Warfare Command (SSU).
Even though they were experienced in cultural property excavation, they froze upon arriving in the waters off Sinan. Finding relics in the rough currents of the West Sea was not easy. Ultimately, the first marine relic excavation team of South Korea set out to sea using a special method.
Off the coast of Sinan, artifacts started pouring out, including pottery, and an enormous amount of coins. "When we went in and checked, it was an enormous amount, an enormous amount," said Lee Ho-geun, the excavation department head of the Cultural Heritage Administration at the time, according to Maeil Business.
However, the Navy personnel who entered the sea came out with surprising stories. The discovery of so many relics raised questions, as the reason for their presence in the sea was unknown. Upon learning this fact, treasure hunters and thieves from all over the country began to flock to the Sinan sea.
A long war began between the excavation team trying to protect the relics and the treasure hunters and thieves trying to steal them.
On February 2, the SBS entertainment program Kkokkomu will air an episode titled "Treasure Hunters - 1976 Sinan Treasure Ship" exploring the history of the discovery.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq