During a routine mine-detection operation on Geumseongsan mountain in Naju, South Korean soldiers found a small bronze tube in 2023. After years of study, experts have now confirmed its authenticity: it is the Hwangja Hwatong, the oldest known gunpowder weapon in South Korea.
The object is about 25 centimetres long, weighs about a kilo and bears 28 engraved Korean characters. The inscription gives the month and year of the traditional cycle in which it was made, its weight, and the names of the official who supervised the work and of the craftsman, which allows it to be dated to 1377 or 1437.
The director of the Naju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Cho Mi-soon, called the find an extraordinary discovery of enormous academic, historical and cultural value. According to the Korea Heritage Service, gunpowder weapons from the late Goryeo and early Joseon periods are extremely rare.
The researchers believe the weapon may have been used in defence against Japanese pirates sailing up the Yeongsan River, at a time when the mountain served as a fortress. A former deputy director of the Korea Army Museum believes the piece fills a gap in the history of firearm development in the country.
