This photo, provided by the city government in Geoje, shows a stegosaurus footprint fossil on Geoje Island, South Gyeongsang Province. Courtesy of Geoje city government

Researchers have discovered footprints left by a stegosaurus some 150 million years ago on Korea's southeastern island of Geoje, according to its officials on Monday.

A team of researchers, led by Kim Kyung-soo, a professor at a geological heritage research center under Chinju National University of Education, found the footprints in Cheonggok-ri — the first evidence showing that the dinosaur species once wandered in Korea.

Stegosauruses are known for their kite-shaped plates, which march across their backs. They could grow 7 meters long and weigh more than 3 tons.

In a city-funded project to study the fossil site on the island's northwestern region, the team also found the footprints of a hadrosaurus and other species, as well as 11 fossilized imprints of dinosaur skin.

More details about their discoveries are expected to be revealed at a briefing set for Friday. Issues such as how to preserve and utilize the site will be discussed at the event.

The research project was proposed after a suspected dinosaur footprint was discovered by a travel firm owner in 2019. The project is expected to close officially next month with a final report.

Last year, fossilized eggs of herbivorous dinosaurs were found in Korea's southwestern region of Sinan.

That location was just 100 meters away from the site where a fossilized nest of carnivorous dinosaurs was discovered in 2009.