Underwater Tomb of King Munmu, Gyeongju

About this place

This is the underwater royal tomb of Munmu, the 30th king of Silla (r. 661–681), a site that reveals the creative genius of the Silla people. It lies 200 m offshore in the sea at Bongil-ri and is exposed above the waterline as a rocky islet measuring roughly 35 m (E–W) × 36 m (N–S) × 5.3 m in height. King Munmu carried on his father King Taejong Muyeol's achievements, destroyed Goguryeo, repelled Tang Chinese aggression, and completed the unification of the Three Kingdoms. He also created new central government offices and laid the groundwork for the Five Secondary Capitals system, the Nine Sodang (guard units), and the Ten Jeong (provincial armies) for local governance and defence. In accordance with his dying wish — that he become a dragon to guard against Japanese pirates — his body was cremated in the Buddhist manner and his remains buried in the East Sea. The rock is known as Daewang-am (Great King Rock) or Daewang Bawi; a royal tomb in the sea is unparalleled in the world. The natural rock was modified by cutting east–west and north–south channels to form a cross-shaped waterway, with a small pool-like basin at the centre. A flat turtle-shaped stone (3.7 m × 2.06 m × 0.9 m thick) was placed 2 m underwater, and the royal remains are believed to rest beneath it. His son, King Sinmun, built Gameunsa Temple nearby, designing a drainage channel beneath the main hall facing the sea so that the dragon form of King Munmu could pass through.