Military archery in Korea goes back to 1 BCE. Korean history has been marked with centuries of defensive wars against its larger and more powerful invading neighbors. Centuries of conflict contributed to the development of Korean archers into some of the most skills archers in the world. To this day, Korean archers are consistently the most successful in Olympic archery. Since 1984, Korea has been awarded 23 of 34 Olympic gold medals for archery.
One cannot discuss Korean archery without delving into its bow making. The Gak-gung (각궁) or Korean Bow is a composite reflex bow developed on the Korean peninsula. The Gak-gung being was officially standardized centuries ago by the Korean government as the national bow. In 1971, it was designated as an important intangible cultural property by the South Korean Cultural Administration.
Traditional Korean bows are one hundred percent handmade. It is a composite reflex bow, meaning a traditional bow made from animal products and wood, with the ends curved away from the archer. This style was also seen in Mongolia and Turkey. Manufacturing a single Korean bow is an arduous process that takes four months. The materials needed are bamboo, mulberry wood, oak, cow tendons, and buffalo horn. The materials are very similar to other Eurasian composite bows. Where Korean bows differ is in their geometry. They are smaller in size but have extreme reflex. This means that they allow for a much longer drawback. This leads to a longer effective range. For reference, Korean archery is practiced at a range of 145 meters. Olympic archery takes place with a target distance of 70 meters.
Making a Korean bow means first carefully cutting the materials into the desired size. There is then a lengthy process of molding the woods and horns into shape with a combination of exposure to fire, soaking in water, curing under sunlight, and using frames to mold the bow. Once the bow has been built and glued together, it must be unwound and shaped into its final shape by manually bending it. This is a physically difficult process.
I watched two videos of traditional Korean bowmakers during the bow making process. I was impressed by how much craftmanship, and hard work goes into the process. The Archery Historian video showcases the skills of Mr. Kwon, who had over four decades of bow making experience. He was the 13th generation of a family that has been making bows for four hundred years. This was an incredible story to hear. It is amazing to think that this tradition could be passed down for so long, and that knowledge from centuries ago could be passed along this way. The Korean language video showcases another artisan at work is even more detailed and showcase the entire arduous process. It is no wonder to me that the Korean government chose to protect bow making and recognized it as an important element of Korean history and culture.
Today, archery of course is no longer a pillar of the Korean military, however it is considered the national sport and is practiced as a martial art. Knowing the incredible history and process of making these bows, I would love to have the opportunity to try it one day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gakgung
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIIxyHBRAgI&t=2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjgtsGKdhMs
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