Gungsi, Hwapo, and Dogeom... Approaching the Reality of Joseon Military Forces

National Palace Museum Publishes Korea's First Military-Themed Encyclopedic Dictionary

Sopo Poga

The National Palace Museum announced on the 11th that it has published the fifth volume of the Royal Culture Illustrated Encyclopedia titled 'Mugu (武具)'. It is the first dictionary-style encyclopedia in Korea with the theme of 'military'. It contains various illustrations and visual materials of numerous artifacts. An official stated, "Following 'Joseon Royal Court Costume (2012)', 'Court Music and Dance (2014)', 'National Rites (2016)', and 'Ceremonial Equipment (2018)', this is the final volume of the Royal Culture Illustrated Encyclopedia," and introduced that "it includes diverse military equipment materials from Joseon such as weapons and armor."

'Mugu' refers to all kinds of instruments used in war, including firearms, cannons, and polearms. The museum categorized Joseon-era weapons and military costumes into six major sections: ▲Gungsi (bows and arrows) ▲Hwapo (cannons) ▲Dogeom (swords) ▲Chang (spears) ▲Tasal Muggi (other killing weapons) ▲Boksik (costumes), and included 134 related illustrations.

How to Use Mugu (Image of inserting a coin into a Tong-a)

Gungsi refers to bows and arrows, representative traditional weapons of Korea. The encyclopedia includes not only those used in actual combat and ceremonies but also arrows that indicated social status. Hwapo are weapons that use the explosive power of gunpowder to launch iron balls or arrows. The museum covered various Korean cannons as well as foreign-introduced firearms such as the matchlock gun and Bulanggi (佛朗機, a type of cannon introduced from abroad). In the Dogeom section, types such as Hwandog (ring sword) and Saingeom (Four Tiger Sword) were organized, and in the Chang section, types like Dangpa (trident) and Yoguchang (hooked spear) were included.

X-ray imaging of a hwan-do wrapped in fish skin

Tasal Muggi collectively refers to weapons that strike enemies using weight and swinging force. A representative example is Masang Pyeongon (horseback flail) used by cavalry. The encyclopedia also includes weapons elaborately decorated with metal parts used in royal court ceremonies. In the Boksik section, armor, helmets, military uniforms, and Yungbok (military attire) worn during military-related duties were included. An official explained, "Detailed patterns, weapon usage methods, and various structures are depicted in meticulous illustrations to make them easily understandable to the general public," adding, "Especially, the usage methods of traditional bows, detailed structures of cannons, internal structures of armor, and intricate patterns of ceremonial weapons are illustrated."

Bulangipo Glass Plate

As basic reference materials related to Mugu, the encyclopedia includes high-resolution images of various military manuals, Uigwe (royal protocols), and paintings from old documents. The museum also publicly reveals for the first time 44 glass plate negatives featuring weapons in its collection. An official said, "These were photographed during the Japanese colonial period at the Yiwangga Museum, allowing us to understand the condition of artifacts at that time and materials or forms that no longer exist," and explained, "Especially, the glass plate negative of the Bulanggi cannon (a cannon brought by Ming dynasty reinforcements during the Imjin War) showing a handle inserted into the rear part of the cannon's muzzle is an extremely rare material."

Royal Culture Encyclopedia Volume 5: Mugu

During the production process of the encyclopedia, the museum conducted scientific investigations using endoscopy, infrared cameras, and X-ray imaging, achieving unexpected results. An official stated, "We confirmed inscriptions in seal script (a Chinese character style often used in seals) decorated with inlaid threads on the spikes of a flail," and added, "The phrase matches records in the 'Records of the Marquis' included in the Historical Records." The encyclopedia will be distributed to national and public libraries and museums. It can also be accessed on the websites of the National Palace Museum and the Cultural Heritage Administration.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.