Korea is a ‘country of dolmens.’ A dolmen is a type of tomb constructed of large stones. While found all over the world, dolmens are mostly discovered in Korea, China and Japan. In particular, more than 40 percent of all dolmens in the world are located in the Korean peninsula, with the number of around 30,000 in the South and around 10,000-15,000 in the North.
Out of all dolmens in Korea, the ones in Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa are especially famous. These dolmen remains are well-preserved, located close to each other, and formed in various ways. There are 447 dolmens in Gochang situated in an area of about 1.8㎞ along the foot of a mountain, which are the densest in the world and vary in terms of form and size. The Hwasun Dolmen are densely concentrated with 597 dolmens in an area of about 5㎞ along the valley. There are a variety of forms of dolmens, dozens of over 100 tons and some even reaching 280 tons. Above all, the quarry of dolmens found together with dolmens shows their construction process. The Ganghwa Dolmen is situated at a higher level than other dolmens in Korea and contains the biggest and greatest table-type dolmens. In general, while the table-type dolmens are situated in the central and northern parts of the Korean peninsula, the dolmens without stone props or with small ones are found in the southern region, like Gochang and Hwasun.
Similar to dolmen, structures of megalithic culture created with giant stones are found all over the world. The megalithic remains contain a variety of stories that humans do not know. Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites are valuable Korean heritages that also stimulate curiosity and imagination.