Wreck of Old Ship Found at Songhori Beach, Haenam

"Similar Structure to Typical Traditional Hanseon"

The National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage announced on the 7th that it discovered a hull presumed to be an ancient ship at the beach in Songho-ri, Songji-myeon, Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do. The ship measures approximately 14 meters in length and 5 meters in width. The structure, including the bow and stern, left and right outer planks, and the garryongmok (a transverse beam that supports the side planks of the ship to prevent collapse and separates compartments), was confirmed. The institute stated, "Although it is difficult to determine the exact structure based on appearance alone, it is similar to a typical traditional Hanseon (韓船, traditional Korean ship), so it is considered an ancient ship."

The Maritime Cultural Heritage Institute plans to begin excavation on the 26th to clarify the specific size and production period. To date, fourteen ancient ships have been investigated domestically. Among them, seven were found in the intertidal zone (潮間帶, the area between the high tide line and low tide line along the coast). The Cultural Heritage Administration said, "Recently, important cultural heritage has frequently been excavated even in the intertidal zone," adding, "We will investigate underwater cultural heritage using various methods such as drones."