Onggi Transport Ship Estimated to Have Sunk in the 1950s Discovered Off the Coast of Goheung

Securing Empirical Data to Reveal Modern Onggi Research and Maritime Distribution Methods
National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage, Additional Excavations... Plans for Memorial Rites for Sacrificed Sailors

Baekjabal of a ship presumed to have sunk in the waters of Sorokhwa Island while transporting Onggi pottery made in Bonghwang Onggi Village, Chillyang-myeon, Gangjin-gun. Photo by Marine Cultural Heritage Research Institute

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] A sunken earthenware transport ship was discovered during an underwater cultural heritage exploration conducted off the coast of Goheung, Jeollanam-do.

According to the National Maritime Cultural Heritage Research Institute of the Cultural Heritage Administration on the 25th, a sunken earthenware transport ship was confirmed for the first time during an underwater cultural heritage survey conducted this year in the waters of Goheung County. In August, the institute began an exploration of the area after receiving a report from a diver who was digging clams in the waters near Sorokhwa Island, Doyang-eup, Goheung County. The vessel was sunken on the seabed at a depth of about 7 meters, carrying various types of earthenware such as jars, long jars, and lids on board.

The ship appears to have sunk in the waters near Sorokhwa Island while transporting earthenware made in Bonghwang Onggi Village. The institute estimated the sinking period to be the 1950s based on the production style of the white porcelain bowls loaded on board. The white porcelain bowls are ceramic dishes fired with a transparent glaze over a pure white clay base. The vessel is analyzed to have sunk in the waters near Sorokhwa Island while transporting earthenware made in Bonghwang Onggi Village, Chilryang-myeon, Gangjin County.

Actual incidents of maritime accidents involving residents of Bonghwang Onggi Village in the Goheung waters during the 1950s support this estimation. In the early 1950s, three residents of Bonghwang Onggi Village went missing near Geogeumdo while sailing to Yeosu to sell earthenware. In 1954, an earthenware transport ship disappeared in the waters off Nokdong, Goheung. All crew members were lost at that time, and no belongings were found.

This discovery is expected to provide empirical data that can reveal modern earthenware research and maritime distribution methods, while also allowing the families of the missing to learn about their relatives' whereabouts after 70 years. The National Maritime Cultural Heritage Research Institute plans to conduct an excavation investigation of the earthenware transport ship and, in consultation with the bereaved families, will hold a memorial service for the crew members who likely perished in the accident.