Jinju City Owns One Lucky 'Jinju Meteorite'... Fell Breaking Glass Greenhouse in Daegok-myeon in 2014

The Jinju Meteorite Donation Ceremony is taking place.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Jinju City, Gyeongnam Province, has acquired a meteorite.

On the 14th, Mayor Jo Gyu-il and City Council Chairman Lee Sang-young attended the ceremony to receive one of the meteorites that fell in Jinju in 2014 as a donation.

The Jinju meteorite, which caused a stir nationwide at the time, consisted of four large meteorites and some fragments.

The meteorite donated to Jinju City this time is the fifth meteorite, discovered on the same day as the fourth meteorite on March 17, 2014, found in a paprika glass greenhouse in Danmok-ri, Daegok-myeon.

The discoverer was the late Kim Hyo-seop, the owner of the glass greenhouse, who found it because the greenhouse glass was broken.

The meteorite, about the size of a fist and weighing approximately 150g, clearly shows a blackened trace called a ‘fusion crust’ several millimeters thick on its surface, caused by frictional heat while passing through the atmosphere.

Kim Myung-su, the representative of Jeong Geum-gil Jewelry Workshop and son of the late Kim Hyo-seop, the donor, said, “We entrusted it with the hope that many people can share the cosmic energy that fell in Jinju and gain good energy together.”

A city official said, “During these difficult and exhausting times due to COVID-19, we hope that many people can receive the energy of the Jinju meteorite and embrace hope by hearing the donor’s good intentions.”

The meteorite that fell in Jinju is a type of ‘ordinary chondrite,’ which accounts for more than 80% of meteorites found on Earth. It is believed to have originated from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

The person who first discovers a meteorite holds ownership rights. At the time, the government attempted to purchase the meteorite, but negotiations failed due to differences with the owner.

Subsequently, the ‘Jinju Meteorite Act,’ passed in December 2014, includes provisions such as a meteorite registration system for owners and a ban on export abroad.

Jinju City plans to temporarily store and exhibit the donated meteorite at the Jinju Pterosaur Footprint Exhibition Hall after undergoing precise identification procedures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.