Korean armour is armour that was traditionally used in ancient times by Koreans, those fighting in and on behalf of Korea, or Koreans fighting overseas. Examples of armour from the Korean Peninsula date back to at least the Korean Three Kingdoms period. Depending on the tactical situation, Korean armour also included horse armour and other kinds of early anti-ballistic armour before the 20th century.
Introduction
Korean armour was mainly dedicated to protect against missiles, since the mountainous terrain made field battles either rare or very hazardous in comparison to many other countries; generally for historical Koreanic countries, the defense or the taking of fortifications was the typical way of warfare.
The earliest variants of armour used by Proto-Koreanic tribes appeared during the Bronze Age and were likely made of animal skins, bone or wood. The earliest findings of iron armour were from Gaya and Goguryeo, while bone armour could be found in Baekje.
Metallic armour was relatively widespread during the Three Kingdoms period due to constant warfare, but its usage declined once Korea was unified and Japanese pirates or steppe nomads became the main concerns. Following the collapse of United Silla in the 10th century and its takeover by Goryeo, the warfare style more common type to the Central and Northern parts of Korea along with the use of lighter armours took over. This resulted in the general abandonment of the heavy armours typically used by the southern states.
The first known use of iron plate mail in Korea was used by the Gaya Confederacy between 42 and 562 AD. A large number of iron and steel artifacts, including iron armour, iron horse armour such as helmets and bits, and smaller iron ingots (often used as money), have been found in the Daeseong-dong tombs in Gimhae. Gimhae (김해, 金海) literally means "Sea of Iron", as if the city's name symbolizes the abundance of iron in the area. Surviving examples are currently on display at the Gimhae National Museum in South Korea.
Korean warfare was often based on harsh terrain and the firepower imposed on the enemy from high ground usually in the form of composite bows and later gunpowder weapons, while cavalry superiority was favored against the constant Jurchen raids during the Joseon dynasty. Fighting against the much more numerous forces of China and Japan, Koreans favored mobility and ranged tactics which limited the reliance upon vastly armoured units despite a strong inclusion of melee training.
During later periods, Korean armour also included forms of brigandine, chain mail, and scale armour. Due to the cost of iron and steel equipment that were often too high for peasant conscripts, helmets were not always full steel and stiffened leather caps were not uncommon.
Korean armour pieces, from top to bottom, typically consisted of a helmet or a cap, a heavy main armour coat with pauldrons or shoulder and underarm protection, leg coverings (supplemented by the skirting from the main coat), groin protection, and limb protection. In terms of armament, Korean militaries employed heavy infantry equipped with swords or spears along with shields, pikemen, archers, crossbowmen, and versatile heavy cavalry capable of horse archery. Korean naval warfare saw large deployments of heavy wooden shields as a means of protecting personnel on the top decks of Korean ships.
After the rise of the Joseon Dynasty, Korean combat armour saw change once from mainly using chainmail, plated mail and lamellar to mostly brigandine. By the time of the Mid-Joseon Dynasty, provincial troops were equipped with padded armour while the central units could afford metal-made armour.