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South Korean soldiers searching for mines on Geumseongsan Mountain found a Hwangja Hwatong, an early gunpowder weapon—not a landmine. The artifact was discovered in November 2023 in Naju, South Jeolla Province. Its inscription points to a manufacture date of either 1377 or 1437, so the often-used description “600-year-old” is approximate, not an exact age.
What did the soldiers find?
The object was a Hwangja Hwatong (黃字火筒), a Korean gunpowder weapon. The Korea Heritage Service and Naju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage describe it as the earliest surviving Korean gunpowder weapon known to them. That distinction concerns surviving examples; it does not mean it was the first weapon of its kind ever made. Korea.net’s report on the institute’s findings explains that the weapon used gunpowder to launch arrows or other projectiles, providing greater range and destructive power than a bow, then the period’s primary weapon.
How did the discovery happen?
The firearm was found in November 2023 during a mine-detection sweep connected to preparations to pave a hiking trail on Geumseongsan Mountain in Naju, Jeollanam-do. The official account describes the find as accidental. A later AOL report says a detector signal prompted soldiers to dig because they suspected a mine, and that they contacted cultural-heritage experts after uncovering the object. That account supplies the more detailed sequence; the heritage-service announcement establishes the sweep and discovery.
The mountain lies near the Yeongsangang River basin. Heritage authorities describe the area as an important military location, making the findspot relevant to the weapon’s historical context as well as its recovery.
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How old is the Hwangja Hwatong?
The exact manufacture year is unresolved. The weapon’s 28-character inscription includes a date read as a Jeongsa year, which official accounts say could refer to either 1377 or 1437. Those dates are sixty years apart, and both fall around the transition from late Goryeo to early Joseon. Calling the object “600 years old” is a convenient approximation, not a settled dating result.
The inscription also records the weapon’s name and weight, the supervising official’s title and name, and the maker’s name. That combination of a findspot and production information makes the object unusually informative: it offers evidence about when and how a surviving weapon was made, even though its precise year remains uncertain. The Korea Heritage Service announcement and Korea.net’s report both describe the competing date readings.
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- Model Number: 22-237G
- Item Package Dimensions: 8.5" L x 6.0" W x 1.5" H
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What are its dimensions, and why is it significant?
| Measurement | Finding |
|---|---|
| Length | 23.75 cm |
| Caliber | 1.66 cm |
| Weight | 1,032 g |
These precise measurements were reported by Korea.net from the Naju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage findings. The heritage authorities characterize the Hwangja Hwatong as the oldest surviving Korean gunpowder weapon. Physical examples from the late Goryeo and early Joseon period are rare, so this inscribed artifact provides concrete evidence of weapon production in that era.
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Can visitors see the weapon?
The announced exhibition at the National Palace Museum of Korea runs from September 23 through November 22, 2026, according to Korea.net. Exhibition dates can change; check the museum’s current visitor information before making travel plans.
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- Made in: Spain
- Category name: swords-daggers-replicas
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