Digging for gold: Rising prices spark metal detecting boom on Korean beaches

Members of a metal detecting club are seen searching for gold at Mangsang Beach in Donghae, Gangwon, on Feb. 6. [LEE GYU-RIM]

 
DONGHAE, Gangwon — Ever thought of going hunting for gold on the beach? Rising gold prices and affordable detection gear are driving a quiet boom for metal detecting in Korea, turning beaches into weekend hunting grounds where hobbyists scour the sand for coins, jewelry and the chance of unexpected profit.
 
Windy conditions do not stop those searching for a windfall. Four adults wearing long rubber boots, thick gloves and hats were found combing through the sand as if they were on a treasure hunt earlier this month at Mangsang Beach in Donghae, Gangwon. Temperatures had dropped to minus 3 degrees Celsius (27 degrees Fahrenheit), and a strong wind advisory was in effect.
 

Related Article

• Korea's tradition of gifting gold to long-serving workers hits snag as prices surge

• Gold rush: Jewelry store worker runs off with more than $700,000 of the precious metal

• Record-breaking gold prices cast new spotlight on 'Golden Bat' statue in Hampyeong County

• Korea's official gold reserves remain unchanged for 13 years, rank 39th worldwide

 
Each person carried a long rod with a circular disk at the end and a shovel perforated with holes for sifting sand. A small plastic container hung from each waist.
 
They swept the circular devices across the ground, and whenever a beeping sound rang out, they scooped away sand, bent down and picked things up.
 
After two hours, a steady clinking sound came from the plastic containers. When the lids were opened, piles of gold and silver-colored coins were visible inside.
 
These were members of a metal detecting club who had traveled to the East Sea despite the harsh weather to search for precious metals and coins buried in the sand.
 
One club member, who said that they had driven 2 hours and 40 minutes from home in Yongin, Gyeonggi, paused when the detector beeped and immediately dug into the sand with a shovel, saying it looked like a 500-won (30-cent) coin based on the reading. Moments later, a 500-won coin minted in 2008 was in hand.
 

A member of a metal detecting club searches for gold at Mangsang Beach in Donghae, Gangwon, on Feb. 6. [LEE GYU-RIM]

 
Over the course of an hour, the club member found 18 coins and also collected trash such as soju bottle caps, pull tabs from cans and screws.
 
“Metal detecting has a charm similar to fishing,” the member said. “When the machine beeps and you get that bite, digging into the ground and checking what you caught gives a thrilling sense of satisfaction.”
 
While it is fundamentally a hobby, another similarity to fishing is that it can be fairly lucrative if a lot is recovered.
 
With gold prices having surged for some time, income from metal detecting has not been insignificant. Last year, one club member managed to find items containing gold that were valued at 2.5 million won.
 
“In September, I found an 18-karat gold ring at a beach in South Chungcheong and reported it to the police,” the club member said. “Once six months pass without the owner coming forward, ownership is transferred to the person who found it.”
 
Members of metal detecting clubs regularly conduct searches together and often show off their finds through online communities.
 

A box of coins found with metal detectors by a member of a metal detecting club [LEE GYU-RIM]

 
In addition to beach searches, club members explore a variety of locations with a multitude of methods for finding buried treasure. Among them are underwater detecting, mountain searches and panning for gold. 
 
"Members of the metal detecting club choose a certain location each week and go searching, and we always encounter other clubs," an organizer of the detecting club said. "I went to Eulwangni yesterday, and the area has already become a mecca for metal detecting."
 
Metal detecting originated overseas and has been growing in popularity in Korea as prices of gold and silver have risen sharply over the past five years. Compared to five years ago, gold prices have risen by more than 250 percent, while silver prices have climbed by more than 400 percent.
 
Sales of metal detectors increased by about 51.1 percent compared to the previous year, and sales continue to rise this year, according to a shop owner who runs metal detector stores in Ulsan and Cheongju, North Chungcheong.
 
“The price of a detector starts at around 1 million won and can exceed 3 million won, but these days even finding one don (3.75 grams) of gold covers the cost, so high-priced models still sell well,” the shop owner said.
 

A member of a metal detecting club holds coins found at Mangsang Beach in Donghae, Gangwon, on Feb. 6. [LEE GYU-RIM]

 
Only four club members gathered at Mangsang Beach on Friday, but the club has about 24,000 members in total. More than 30 other online communities with tens of thousands of members have also been formed.
 
As interest has grown, private certification exams for metal detecting specialists have come to the attention of hobbyists. Applicants who pass tests covering equipment, usage, reporting procedures for found items and methods for researching sites in advance can receive certification.
 
Still, longtime hobbyists have raised concerns that increased participation could lead to controversy, since metal detecting is not permitted everywhere. Entering cultural heritage protection zones, national parks or military facilities without permission for metal detecting alone can result in punishment. 


“Beaches offer more freedom for detecting than other locations, but participants should avoid excessive damage to land that could violate the Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act,” said Kim Hee-kyoon, a professor of law at the University of Seoul.
 
Items discovered through metal detecting must be reported to the police within seven days. Keeping them without reporting can constitute embezzlement of lost property.
 
“We actively encourage members to restore any digging sites to their original condition and to turn in any found valuables to the local police precinct or substation,” said the club organizer.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE GYU-RIM [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]