The Chongtong was the general name of Korean gunnery used during the early to mid Joseon Dynasty

Joseon Dynasty

Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...

. There were many different types, including: Cheonja ("Sky" or "Heaven"), Jija ("Earth"), Hyeonja ("Black"), Hwangja ("Yellow") or ("Gold"), Se, and Seungja ("Victory"). There were also several others.

The following are several of the many kinds of Chongtong:

Cheonja-Chongtong

The 'Sky' or 'Heaven' (Hangul: 천자총통; Hanja: 天字銃筒) type cannon was the largest of the chongtong. Its length was about 1.3 m and the bore was about 13 cm. One of the projectiles it fired was a 30 kg 'daejanggunjeon', a large rocket-shaped arrow with an iron head and fins. The cheonja could fire one of these up to about 1.4 km.

Jija-Chongtong

The 'Earth' (Hangul: 지자총통; Hanja: 地字銃筒) cannon was a little smaller, about 1 m long with a bore of about 10 cm. It could fire a 16.5 kg 'janggunjeon' (similar to the daejanggunjeon, only smaller) about 1 km.

Hyeonja-Chongtong

The 'Black' (Hangul: 현자총통; Hanja: 玄字銃筒) type was about 0.8 m long with a bore of about 8 cm and could fire a 'chadajeon' (similar to the janggunjeon) that weighed about 3.5 kg up to about 1 to 2 km.

Hwangja-Chongtong

The 'Yellow' (Hangul: 황자총통; Hanja: 黃字銃筒) was the smallest of the cannons. It resembled the European hand-cannon. Its bore was about 5 cm and shot a large arrow (similar to the chadaejeon) that weighed about 1.5 kg or four ordinary arrows at once which had a range of about 730 m.

Seungja-Chongtong

The 'Victory' (Hangul: 승자총통) fired various small projectiles like balls, grapeshot, arrows, etc.

Other firearms used by Koreans in the 16th century

• Samchongtong
• Chongtongwan-gu
• Janggunhwatong
• Ilchongtong
• Yichongtong
• Paljeonchongtong
• Sajeonchongtong
• Bullanggi (breech-loading swivel gun
  Breech-loading swivel gun
  A breech-loading swivel gun was a particular type of swivel gun and a small breech-loading cannon invented in the 14th century. It was equipped with a swivel for easy rotation and was loaded by inserting a mug-shaped device called a chamber, pre-filled with gunpowder and projectiles...
  
   introduced from Europe via China)
• Wan-gu mortar
  Mortar (weapon)
  A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
  
  s
• Baekjachong

See also

• List of artillery
• Korean cannon
  Korean cannon
  Cannon in Korea were first developed by Choe Mu-seon, for exclusive use by the Goryeo Army. Several types were made and saw successful action during the Mongol invasions of Japan...
  
  
• Hwacha
  Hwacha
  Hwacha or Hwach'a is the world's first multiple rocket launcher developed and used in Joseon Korea. It had the ability to fire up to 100 steel-tipped rockets, or 200 Singijeon flaming arrow projectiles from a range of 500 yards in multiple salvos...
  
  
• Hongyi-po
  Hongyi-po
  The Hongyi-po was a smoothbore muzzle-loader cannon introduced to Korea from the Dutch Republic in late 16th century. It was called the Hongyi-po by the Koreans because the Chinese called the Dutch 紅夷 .-External links:...
  
  
• Singijeon
  Singijeon
  Singijeon or Shinkichon is a multi-launch rocket invented by Korean general Choe Mu-seon in 1377, during the Goryeo Dynasty under King U...