Bomb Shell

The Bomb Shell (bigyeok jincheolloe), invented by Yi Jang-son during the reign of King Seonjo of Joseon, was an anti-personnel and anti-cavalry bomb used in the mid-Joseon period. It is 21 cm in diameter and 68 cm in circumference, and consists of a wooden spool (mokgok) around which the fuse is wound, a bamboo tube (jukgong) housing the spool, thin iron fragments, and a lid. The outer casing, made of cast iron, resembles a round gourd, while the interior is packed with gunpowder and thin iron fragments; it was launched using a wangu, a type of muzzle-loading mortar cannon. During the Japanese invasions of Korea, Bak Ui-jang, then magistrate of Gyeongju, used it to recapture Gyeongju fortress. As the best-preserved example of this weapon surviving in Korea, the Bomb Shell is valued as a piece of scientific and cultural heritage relating to national defence that can be studied alongside written records, and it holds great value as material for research into cannon and the development of ammunition.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jongno-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물