A bronze tube known as Hwangja Hwatong was found during a mine search in 2023. Its inscription dates it to either 1377 or 1437.
Troops searching for mines on Mount Geumseong in southwestern South Korea found a small bronze object underground in November 2023. After nearly three years of research, the Naju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage identified it as a Hwangja Hwatong, an early handheld gunpowder weapon. Authorities announced the identification on September 21, 2026. Times of India published a recap on October 6.
The weapon is 23.75 centimetres long, has a bore about 1.66 centimetres wide and weighs 1,032 grams. It consists of a socket for a wooden handle, a gunpowder chamber and a muzzle. Researchers say it could fire arrows and other projectiles.
The bronze carries 28 Korean characters. Twenty-seven record the weapon’s name, weight, the people responsible for its manufacture and an incomplete date. A separate mark near the muzzle may be an inventory or production number. The inscription places the weapon in either 1377 or 1437, leaving its exact year unresolved.
Both dates matter to Korean arms history. The earlier year falls near the end of the Goryeo dynasty, when the state established an agency devoted to producing gunpowder weapons. The alternative falls during the reign of King Sejong the Great, when engineers were improving firearms. The earliest previously securely dated nationally designated Korean firearm was from 1555. The discovery could push that record back by 118 or 178 years, depending on the correct date.
The National Palace Museum in Seoul is showing the artifact from September 23 through November 22. Korea.net and Yonhap have reported the object’s measurements, possible dates and exhibition.