Tomb believed to belong to Baekje's King Samgeun identified
Cluster of royal burial mounds in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province / Courtesy of Baekje World Heritage Center
Heritage authorities said on Tuesday that one of the royal tombs from the ancient Baekje Kingdom is likely to belong to King Samgeun, its 23rd monarch.
The tomb is part of a cluster of royal burial mounds in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, which served as the Baekje capital, then called Ungjin, from A.D. 475 to 538.
Of the seven known tombs in the area, only that of King Muryeong, Baekje's 25th ruler, has been identified. The others remain anonymous, having suffered extensive looting and damage during Japan's colonial rule of Korea from 1910 to 1945.
King Samgeun (465–479), the grandson of King Gaero and son of King Munju, ascended the throne at age 13 and died just two years later, at 15.
Historical records regarding the king are scarce due to his short reign.
Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea alongside Goguryeo and Silla, ruled parts of the Korean Peninsula from 18 B.C. until its fall in A.D. 660.
The Buyeo National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage launched a reinvestigation of Tombs No. 1-4 in 2023. In Tomb No. 2, researchers discovered two teeth, believed to be molars, along with bone fragments.
Artifacts — including ornate golden earrings, rings, beads and jade ornaments — unearthed from royal tombs of the Baekje Dynasty (18 BCE–660 CE) in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, are displayed during a press conference at Korea House in Seoul, Tuesday. According to the latest excavation by the Buyeo National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, one of the tombs is believed to belong to the ancient kingdom's 23rd ruler, King Samgeun (465–479), based on forensic analysis of two molars found alongside the jewelry. Yonhap
Forensic analysis revealed that the molars belonged to an individual in one's late teens, which matches King Samgeun's age. Although the tomb had been severely damaged by looting, some remains were recovered through meticulous soil analysis.
"These were teeth from the upper right jaw. Based on the shape of the teeth, the individual is estimated to have been in their teens, not yet in their twenties," said Lee Woo-young, an anatomy professor at Catholic University who advised the project.
The institute said there is a strong possibility that Tomb No. 2 belongs to King Samgeun, considering the period when he ascended the throne, his familial relationships, and the age indicated by the teeth. It added that the individuals buried in Tombs No. 1-4 are presumed to be direct royal descendants of King Gaero.
Artifacts excavated from the tomb include ornate gold earrings inlaid with blue glass beads, a striped ring made of gold-plated silver, and a pentagonal sword handle ornament decorated with silver overlaid on iron.
"Glass beads are only found in earring artifacts from the Ungjin capital period, indicating a more sophisticated level of craftsmanship," said Lee Han-sang, a professor at Daejeon University and an expert in Three Kingdoms-era metalwork.
"These artifacts are of great significance, offering a glimpse into Baekje's flourishing golden culture in the late fifth century during King Muryeong's reign," he added, citing similar earrings recovered from King Muryeong's Tomb.