| An undated photo of the Russian battleship Dmitrii Donskoi. / Courtesy of the Asia-Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics. |
By Park Si-soo
A South Korean treasure hunter, who recently found a sunken Russian “treasure ship” off Ulleung Island, will host an international press conference next week to unveil what it claims to be “part of things that will surprise the world.”
Shinil Group, a South Korean treasure-hunting company, said the event is planned for July 25 or 26. The location is not yet fixed. The company said details will be announced on its website (https://donskoi.kr/main/main.php).
| The Dmitrii Donskoi was said to be loaded with gold. / Courtesy of Shinil Group |
The company hit the headlines at home and abroad Tuesday when it announced it had discovered the wreck of the Russian battleship Dmitrii Donskoi that sank in 1905.
The ship, used during the Russo-Japanese War, is said to have had tons of gold on board. Rumors say the ship went down with 5,500 boxes of gold coins and bars that would now be worth 150 trillion won ($133.4 billion).
“We spotted things that look like treasure boxes, but we have not opened them yet,” a company official said. The company said it inspected the wreckage with two manned submarines Saturday. “We will open them up according to due process.”
The official said “part of things” the company had discovered could be unveiled as early as next Wednesday or Thursday.
The wreckage is 434 meters deep in seas 1.3 kilometers off Ulleung Island.
The sunken vessel's shape and details were "confirmed to be identical with the Dmitrii Donskoi,” the company said. "The body of the ship was severely damaged by shelling, with its stern almost broken, but the ship's deck and sides are well preserved.”