
The Illicit Hoard of Mr. H
In 2019, Korean police recovered 109 cultural artefacts from the home of a man in his seventies, referred to as Mr H., living in Mokpo. The items—mostly celadon bowls, black-glazed ware, and small vessels—had been stored for decades in boxes and kitchen cupboards. When questioned, Mr H. first claimed the artefacts were “inherited,” but later admitted he had personally salvaged them from the Sinan wreck in the late 1970s, before the official excavation began. The seizure followed a public tip-off.
Image Source: https://news.nate.com/view/20190613n12293