Home > National > Social Affairs

Letters by Incheoners in time capsule goes up in smoke — literally

Published: 05 Aug. 2025, 15:06 Updated: 05 Aug. 2025, 17:57

A time capsule buried in 2005 in Seo District, Incheon, filled with letters from 10,000 residents, was incinerated before it could be fully opened. [INCHEON SEO DISTRICT OFFICE]

A time capsule meant to preserve the dreams of 10,000 Incheon residents for 20 years ended up going up in smoke — literally.

Buried in 2005 in the city’s Seo District, the time capsule filled with letters from 10,000 residents was incinerated before it could be fully opened, due to the unforeseen toxicity of a dehumidifying substance the officials inserted to prevent the letters from decaying.

The letters were written to commemorate the first phase of the construction of the park they were later buried in, the Gajwa Ieum Forest Park.

The district had partially opened the capsule during a local holiday in 2015 and planned to fully unveil it this year. However, officials discovered that rainwater had seeped into the container and damaged the contents, prompting them to cancel the event.

It was later confirmed that the capsule had also contained naphthalene, a substance used at the time to repel moisture and insects. Since December 2022, naphthalene has been classified as a toxic material in Korea. Authorities opted to incinerate the capsule at a high temperature of 1,200 degrees Celsius (2,192 degrees Fahrenheit) in accordance with hazardous waste disposal protocols.

According to a notice posted on the Seo District website, the capsule had been sealed in shrink wrap and encased in a concrete box topped with reinforced glass. Over two decades, however, rainwater infiltrated the container, causing the naphthalene to degrade and ultimately contaminate the letters inside.

“Due to unforeseeable circumstances such as climate change, we were unable to return the heartfelt messages placed in the capsule to our residents,” the district office said. “We deeply apologize.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]