CRETACEOUS FROG FOSSILS FOUND IN JINJU

[Anchor Lead]

More than hundreds fossils dating back to some 110 million years ago have been discovered at a road construction site in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. They are fossils of Cretaceous frog footprints and various types of vertebrates from the Cretaceous period. The Cultural Heritage Administration says that they want to remove and relocate the fossils for additional studying, but local experts are calling for the preservation of this 400-square-meter area entirely.

[Pkg]

A road construction site in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. On a large rock, footprints measuring in length 3cm each are imprinted going in one direction. They are the fossils of a primeval frog dating back to the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era 110 million years ago. More than a hundred fossils of the Cretaceous frog have been discovered this time. Presumed to be the oldest of their kind in the world, they have been preserved well to this day. In addition to the frog footprints, 11 kinds of fossils belonging to vertebrates from the Cretaceous period have been found as well. They include the pterosaur, other dinosaurs and the bipedal crocodiles. Their number surpasses 300. Local experts are calling for the preservation of this 400-square-meter area entirely.

[Soundbite] Kim Kyung-soo(Korea Geological Heritage Research Institute) : "The footprints extend all the way down to the stratum. This site should be preserved, as more fossils could be found here in the future."

However, the Cultural Heritage Administration says the site should be relocated for preservation instead. The administration wants to remove and relocate the fossils before studying them further. It says despite the high academic value of the discovered fossils, the area subject to preservation is small compared to other areas, and its stratum is breaking down.

[Soundbite] (Cultural Heritage Administration Official) : "Some say the fossils should be moved as soon as possible before they are studied further, because they could be damaged quickly if they are left in their original location."

The Cultural Heritage Administration plans to wrap up the relevant procedures during the suspension of road construction, which ends in May 2023, and discuss with Jinju City the relocation of the fossils to the Jinju Pterosaur Traces Museum.