Smithsonian Magazine · People & society

Oldest Korean Gun Found During Land Mine Sweep

South Korean soldiers discovered the country's oldest known gunpowder weapon, a 600-year-old bronze "fire tube" or hwatong, during a mine-detection sweep.

The ten-inch hwatong, dating to the 14th or 15th century, was found on Geumseongsan Mountain in Naju. Researchers are studying the artifact, which weighs just over two pounds and is inscribed with 28 Korean characters.

The inscription indicates the weapon was made in the "Jeongsa year," which researchers have identified as either 1377 or 1437, making it the earliest gunpowder weapon found in Korea. The inscription also details its weight and the officials involved in its creation.

Gunpowder technology originated in ninth-century China and spread by the late 1200s. The Korean peninsula was ruled by the Goryeo dynasty during this period, and firearms gained popularity.

The hwatong may have been used by Koreans defending against Japanese pirates who raided the area. The mountain served as a strategic defense point.

The discovery is significant as physical examples of gunpowder weapons from the late Goryeo and early Joseon periods are exceptionally rare, filling a gap in the country's firearm development history.

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