Overview
- Roughly 29 kilograms have been recovered from at least ten sites since late September, including a 1 kilogram packet retrieved on Udo on Nov. 11.
- More than 800 police, coast guard, marines, officials and volunteers combed northern beaches using boats, helicopters, drones and detection dogs.
- Forensic testing, including DNA analysis, is under way with domestic and international cooperation, but investigators have not identified a source.
- Authorities say the packets float and report similar finds in Pohang and on Japan’s Tsushima Island, raising the possibility of ocean‑current drift.
- Investigators are also examining potential sea‑drop smuggling methods, and media estimates value the haul at about 87 billion won.