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In 1981, a temporary space was built in Mokpo for conservationists to work on the recovered relics. Thirteen years later, that space became the National Maritime Museum, and in 2009, the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage was also housed there to support future explorations. The institute received in 2012 a brand new ship, the Nurian, dedicated solely to underwater archeology, and since last year, it has been using a robot that boasts a high-tech sensor and camera, as well as the capability to collect data such as the depth and temperature of the water around wrecks.

In June 1323, a ship left a port in today’s Ningbo, China, headed for Fukuoka, Japan.

The ship is thought to have contained dozens of Chinese, Japanese and Koreans sailors. At around 200 tons, it was possibly one of the largest merchant vessels of its time, and reportedly carried some of the most valuable trade items including ceramics, spices and rosewood, which was then considered a high-end lumber.