We analyzed two radiocarbon-dated lagoonal sediment cores from Cheonjinho and Ssangho using various biogeochemical methods. As a result, the start times of rice agriculture are estimated to be AD 780 for Cheonjinho and 100 BC for Ssangho. There is a large temporal difference in the beginning of rice agriculture between two study sites even though they are closely located on the coast. This result indicates that pollen records are not sufficient to approximate the start time of rice agriculture accurately. A temporal lag seems to exist between the time when rice agriculture was first introduced and the time when full-scale rice agriculture began in the Yeongdong region, probably because of low agricultural productivity. In both study sites, rice agriculture intensified and slope erosion increased 250 years after full-scale agriculture began. This suggests that intensified rice agriculture resulted in an increased number of inhabitants, settlement expansion to hilly areas, and the consequent deforestation.