Tombs Linked to the 'Park Hyeokgeose Legend' Unveiled

Gyeongju Cultural Heritage Research Institute Investigates Tombs in Geumcheok-ri Area
Identifies Burial Mound Distribution and Excavates One Tomb

The tombs in the Geumcheok-ri area of Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk, where the legend of Park Hyeokgeose originates, are being unveiled. On the 18th, the National Gyeongju Cultural Heritage Research Institute announced that it will investigate the area of the nationally designated cultural heritage site, the 'Gyeongju Geumcheok-ri Burial Mounds,' starting in May. These tombs are estimated to have been constructed in the 5th to 6th centuries. About fifty tombs, large and small, are gathered here. Each is smaller in scale compared to the tombs located on the plains of Gyeongju city, suggesting that they are the burial sites of lower-ranking nobles of Silla. No full-scale investigation has been conducted before. Only in 1952 were two tombs confirmed to be Silla’s distinctive stone-cist tombs. These were rectangular pits with installed cists (boxes).

The Geumcheok-ri area is known for a legend that Park Hyeokgeose hid a ruler’s scepter (Geumcheok, meaning "golden ruler") made from gold received from the heavens by creating several fake tombs. Scholars also speculate that it was the center of either the Jeomnyangbu (漸梁部) or Moryangbu (牟梁部), one of the six divisions of Silla mentioned in the Samguk Sagi. This year, the institute plans to identify the distribution of burial mounds (Bongbun, mounds of earth piled in a rounded shape over tombs) and conduct an excavation of one tomb.

On the 21st, an academic event titled "Another Story of Silla, the Geumcheok Burial Mounds" will be held at the Gyeongju Hilton Hotel. The event will review the current status of tomb investigations and research and discuss future investigation methods. The keynote lecture will be delivered by Professor Emeritus Choi Byunghyun of Soongsil University, who participated in major tomb excavations in Gyeongju, including Hwangnam Daechong and Cheonmachong. He will share research achievements on Silla stone-cist tombs and reflect on the significance of the Geumcheok-ri burial mound excavation. Anyone can participate by registering on-site. The institute plans to release a recorded video later on its YouTube channel.