A salvage operation was set to begin on Tuesday for a 15th-century ship, believed to have sunken while transporting grain and ceramics, off the coast of Taean, South Chungcheong Province.
According to the National Heritage Administration's Maritime Heritage Research Institute, the Ma-do No. 4 ship was first discovered in 2014 and has since remained at the bottom of the ocean.
An underwater excavation in 2015 recovered 380 items, including a wooden tablet inscribed with "Gwangheungchang," which refers to a Joseon-era (1392-1910) government office responsible for distributing salaries in the form of grain, to government officials, or its auxiliary storage facility.
The institute concluded that it was a "joun" ship, used to transport grain and other goods collected as taxes in kind during the Joseon era. It is believed to have sunken between 1417 and 1425.
Since the wooden structure of the ship has been sunken in seawater for about 600 years, it is difficult to salvage the entire vessel at once, so the operation will be conducted in parts. After the salvage operation, the shipwreck fragments, along with previously recovered pieces, will be preserved and treated at the Taean National Maritime Museum. Additional investigations will also be conducted around the site following the ship's recovery.
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