Tomb of King Munmu

A little rocky islet approximately 200 meters from the shore at Bonggil-ri is the Tomb of King Munmu (AD 661-681), who unified the three kingdoms and became the 30th ruler of the Silla Kingdom. The king gave specific instructions to be buried in the East Sea after his death so that he would become a dragon and protect Silla from foreign invaders. The rocky island, about 200 meters in circumference, is divided by a cross-shaped waterway, forming a pool at the center, at the bottom of which is a granite stone 3.6 meters long, 2.9 meters wide and 0.9 meters thick. Legend has it that the remains of King Munmu’s cremated body are buried under this rock. Historians still debate whether the ashes of the King Munmu were scattered or stored in an urn and placed under the rock.