Historic Remains

[Anchor Lead]

A large number of Joseon era bombs which were invented to ward off Japanese invaders has been found in Jeollabuk-do Province. The shells remain relatively intact and traces of an artillery site are also discovered in the vicinity.

[Pkg]

A fuse is wrapped around a stick inserted inside the shell to set the detonation time of this Joseon era time bomb. When the bomb goes off, hundreds of shrapnel scatter all over the place. Invented under the reign of Joseon King Seonjo, the bomb played a key role in fending off Japanese invaders during the Imjin War. This bomb has been found in Gochang, Jeollabuk-do Province. Eleven pieces were uncovered at the same time, nearly twice the six pieces that have been reported to date. The shells weigh about 20 kilograms with a diameter of 21 centimeters. The bombs are fairly intact and fully loaded. What appears to be a battery facility nearby has a diameter of 170 centimeters. Traces still remain of how holes were dug on the ground to install pillars that were used to hold the cannons.

[Soundbite] Yoon Deok-hyang(Honam Cultural Property Research Center) : "Eleven of them have been found, implying the bombs may have been stored as a stockpile. This suggests critical importance in related studies and research."

As pieces of 19th century roof tiles and pottery have also been found near the bombs, the Cultural Heritage Administration will expand excavation activities.