Sillabi Monument in Naengsu-ri, Pohang

This monument was erected in 503 during the Silla period (57 BCE-935 CE). It was later buried and was discovered in 1989 by a farmer who was plowing his field in Naengsu-ri.

The monument is made of natural stone in a trapezoidal shape, and its front and back sides are incised with a 231-character inscription. Although the monument was buried for a long time, the damage to the text is minor.

The inscription records information about a claim of personal property, a disagreement over it, and how the conflict was resolved. It conveys that the leaders of the six districts of the Silla kingdom gathered and, after some deliberation, concluded that the ownership of the property belongs to a person named Jeolgeori. They decided this decision to be final, making it impossible for anyone to provoke a conflict over the matter again. The inscription also conveys that after the leaders reached the conclusion, an ox was ritually sacrificed to ask the will of the heavens.

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08