A bronze mermaid statue of Princess Hwangok was installed here in 1974, but was badly damaged by Typhoon Thelma in 1987. The upper part of the body from this original statue is kept in the Busan Museum, and a replica sculpture was created and installed in the original location in 1989. map
The statue is a fantastic 4-ton 8 ft high bronze sculpture of Princess Hwangok seated on a rock and holding a magical marble sphere in her right hand.
The statue sits on a large natural rock on the northeast side of Dongbaek Park. A trail leads past the mermaid, with a viewing platform where one can see her. The trail leads all the way around the park past the small lighthouse at the southeast corner of the park. It is a beautiful and natural setting for this unique mermaid.
The legend which inspired the sculpture, and the sculpture's history, is told on two nearby signs. Here is the official version:
There is another legend of Queen Heo Hwang-ok in Korean culture. It is not knkown if the two legends are connected in some way.
References:
● https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heo_Hwang-ok
● The Mermaids of Earth coffee-table book: See page 164 in the book about this sculpture.
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