Case file · Sighting
Joseon court records of 1609
The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty record that on one day in 1609 officials across Gangwon province reported glowing objects 'like washbasins' crossing the sky.
1609 CE · 37.75, 128.88 · status: account
The account
The entries, in the annals of King Gwanghaegun, gather reports from Gangneung, Wonju, Chuncheon and Yangyang of bright round objects moving with noise and leaving trails. The court recorded them as omens. Korean newspapers have discussed them as a pre-modern UFO record.
The sceptical view
Descriptions fit a bright fireball or meteor shower; the annals record many sky portents interpreted in political terms.