Throughout history, humans have documented their direct experiences with the sea, along with imaginary concepts surrounding this unknown realm, while living in close concert with it. These records encapsulate the various perspectives, thoughts, and emotions that people of the time had toward the sea. They vividly portray how human life intertwines with the sea. Examples include handwritten texts made during time spent on the sea, maritime knowledge including information about ocean currents, personal accounts of voyages adrift, literary works inspired by the sea, and tales of exile near the coast. Feel free to envision the past as seen through their eyes, interpreting these accounts of the sea in your own imagination.

In the first exhibition area, titled "Our Sea in Records, Records of Imagination," you will get to encounter numerous classical novels themed around the sea. Our ancestors perceived the unpredictable ocean as both their living space and a source of fear. This reverence and awe inspired many to imagine the sea as a splendid palace ruled over by an omnipotent Dragon King, by envisioning the sea as the mysterious world. This led to the emergence of similar characters and worldviews in many classic novels, reflecting the collective imagination, beliefs, and mysteries that people carried regarding the ocean.

One of the most well-known classical novels themed around the sea is "The Hare’s Liver," a piece of literature from the late Joseon Dynasty. This narrative, widely known as 'The Story of the Hare,' or 'The Turtle and the Hare,' is a fable-like pansori(Korean fork musical story) novel. The plot begins with a turtle, a loyal servant in the Dragon Palace under the sea, embarking on a journey to land to fetch a hare’s liver, believed to have the ability to cure the ailing Dragon King. The turtle vividly describes the opulent Dragon Palace to entice the hare. Captivated by the grandeur of the palace, the hare follows the turtle into the sea but ultimately uses its wits to escape from the perilous situation.

"The Dutiful Daughter" is another renowned classic novel in which the sea is a central theme. The version in our museum dates back to 1857. The main storyline revolves around Shim Chung, a devoted daughter who sacrifices herself to the sea god to restore her blind father's sight. Although she plunges into the Indangsu sea as an offering, she briefly resides in the Dragon Palace and safely returns to the human world, ultimately restoring her father's vision. In "The Dutiful Daughter," the Dragon Palace under the sea is depicted as a surreal paradise, far removed from the world we live in. Houses are described as using the bones of whales as their beams and fish scales in place of roof tiles, creating an environment vastly different from our own.

As shown by the narratives and the descriptions from the aforementioned examples, the sea has represented not only a utopian realm but also a space where people's hopes and desires for overcoming the hardships of reality have converged since ancient times.