러시아 돈스코이호, 150조 가치 진짜인가?
The internet was abuzz a few days ago when a local firm claimed it had found an old Russian ship in Korean waters... that contained tens of BILLIONS of dollars of gold.
However,... there's a growing number of skeptics to this claim.
It's looking likely it may not be as it seems.
Shin Semin zooms in on what's being uncovered. A few days have passed since the Korean firm Shinil Group proudly announced that it had discovered a long-lost Russian warship -- the Dimitrii Donskoi -- on the bottom of the East Sea, close to Ulleung-do Island.
But now it's emerging that everything might not be all it seemed.
Shortly after the ship was found Shinil Group claimed the ship could still contain 200 tons of gold bullion and coins,... which would worth some 133-billion U.S. dollars today.
But Russian scholars has flat-out rejected Shinil Group's suggestion that the vessel was carrying gold.
And if even it does contain a treasure trove,... the question becomes: who has the right to keep the gold?
A Russian campaign group has already demanded that the entire fortune -- if it exists -- be returned to Moscow as a 'goodwill gesture.'
An official of the Russian Public Movement to Commemorate Those Who Died Defending the Motherland also said the 'cruiser is a priceless find for Russia, an invaluable relic,' and 'a part of military history of Russia.'
Regardless of what the ship contains or doesn't, it's discovery has had an impact on the local stock market.
Jeil Steel Manufacturing, listed on the tech-heavy KOSDAQ, hit its daily limit of 30-percent on Tuesday-- following reports of the treasure ship discovery.
Dongwon Systems Corporation on the KOSPI 200 Index also saw its share jump 19-percent at the open.
The financial market watchdog is advising investors to be cautious when it comes to buying stocks related to the marine exploration or deep sea salvaging industries WITHOUT checking the facts about the Russian ship.
But apart from it all,... there's also growing skepticism about the company behind this extraordinary discovery.
Shinil Group is a corporation that was only founded last month with some 900-thousand U.S. dollars in capital.
Its website says it's a global construction, shipping and blockchain firm that has its roots in Shinil Engineering, which was established in 1979.
Shinil Group's Donskoi International Exchange was also only founded this year.
The mysterious nature of the company involved, the long-sunken ship and the staggering amount of gold that's supposedly on board has led many to question whether the mystery of the Dmitri Donskoi is one of the most incredible finds in years or one of the most elaborate scams the country has ever seen.
Shin Se-min, Arirang News.
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