Korean armour is the armour

Armour

Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...

 used traditionally in ancient times against swords in swordfighting, and as well in other battlefield encounters by Koreans or those fighting in Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

, or Korean fighting overseas. Related to the battle needs accompanying Korean sword

Korean sword

For much of Korea's history, swords were created for an individual user; thus, most Korean swords were different and did not follow a set standard model....

s and also including Korean horse-armour and other kinds of early anti-ballistic armour before the 20th century.

Introduction

Korean armour were generally scale armour

Scale armour

Scale armour is an early form of armour sometimes erroneously called scale mail consisting of many individual small armour scales of various shapes attached to each other and to a backing of cloth or leather in overlapping rows. Scale armour was worn by warriors of many different cultures as well...

s consisting of: vest, pauldron

Pauldron

A pauldron is a component of plate armour, which evolved from spaulders in the 15th century. As with spaulders, pauldrons cover the shoulder area. Pauldrons tend to be larger than spaulders, covering the armpit, and sometimes parts of the back and chest...

s, skirting; with groin and/or underarm protections. Kings and nobles would also wear shoulder protections. Mesh armours developed late in Korean warfare as piercing weapons for up close fighting were rarer than slashing and striking edged weapons. Shields protected against arrows for infantry.

Korean armour tended to be of one piece, somewhat similar in appearance to costume of that time. In the fog of battle it was essential that Korean armour be distinguished quickly from the multi-piece Chinese armour

Chinese armour

China has a long history of armour and weapons development. China has many varieties of armour, but the most were of the lamellar, coat of plates, brigandine and scaled varieties.-Ancient Armor: Shang to Han:Initially, armour was exclusively for nobles...

 and the leather and metal-studded Mongolian armour

Mongolian armour

Mongolian armour has a long history. Mongol armour drew its influence from Chinese and Middle East styles. Most Mongolian armour was of scale and lamellar variety. Most armour was made of hardened leather and iron, lanced together onto a fabric backing, sometimes silk. Mail armour was also...

. Korean armour was designed to allow fast kicks, ground fighting, and upward strikes while Chinese armour was designed for downward strikes, and more positionary warfare (This is merely a generalization since both cultures have had extensive evolution in warfare through the ages).

To some extent Chinese military tactics were designed for attacks and attacking from height downwards onto the enemy; and Korean for attacks from below with the Koreans commanding heights on mountains, strategic chokehold passes, and mountain fortresses or seong, with attackers and arrows moving upwards. This was naturally dictated by the Chinese plains past the Yalu river, and the Korean mountain ridges and passes inland which were the historic battlegrounds. The armour responded to both these needs.

Goguryeo Armour

Goguryeo armour was a type of lamellar armour

Lamellar armour

Lamellar armour was one of three early body armour types made from armour plates. The other two types are scale armour and laminar armour.-Description:...

, made of little steel plates woven together to make a flexible shirt. It was effective against arrows, swords, and spears.

Sino-Korean brigandine from Goryeo to Joseon dynasty

Effective against ranged attacks, this style of brigandine

Brigandine

A brigandine is a form of body armour from the Middle Ages. It is a cloth garment, generally canvas or leather, lined with small oblong steel plates riveted to the fabric....

 continued til the late 19th century. Ballistic attacks required different materials.

Joseon dynasty armour

Armour from the Joseon dynasty consisted of a heavy canvas coat with iron plates on the inside. The iron plates held together by iron studs that were visible on the outside.

Two notable types were "dujeong-gap"(두정갑) and "durumagi"(두루마기). Both bore similar resemblance, except for the fact that the durumagi had additional scale armour

Scale armour

Scale armour is an early form of armour sometimes erroneously called scale mail consisting of many individual small armour scales of various shapes attached to each other and to a backing of cloth or leather in overlapping rows. Scale armour was worn by warriors of many different cultures as well...

.

See also

• Korean sword
  Korean sword
  For much of Korea's history, swords were created for an individual user; thus, most Korean swords were different and did not follow a set standard model....
  
  
• Korean knife
  Korean knife
  Korean knives are a sub-division of Korean swords in that both have been used or are used for martial arts purposes, and as well in the martial arts. This article gives a brief introduction to this interesting field within the greater sphere of Korean martial arts.-Korean knife fighting:If one...
  
  
• Korean martial arts
  Korean martial arts
  Korean martial arts are the martial arts that originated from Korea. Some well known Korean martial arts are hapkido, kuk sool won, and taekwondo. There has also been a revival of Korean sword arts as well as knife fighting and archery...
  
  
• Plated mail
  Plated mail
  Plated mail is a type of mail with embedded plates. Armour of this type has been used in the Middle East, Japan, China, Korea, Central Asia, Greater Iran, India, Eastern Europe, and by the Moors.-Types of plated mail:In Russia there are three known varieties of this armour...
  
  - armours similar to Gyeongbeongap (경번갑/鏡幡甲)

External links

• Silk Road Designs Armoury --Brigandine
• Silk Road Designs Armoury --Armours of Scales
• Korean Armour
• Armor from Goryeo Dynasty
• Iron Armour
• about korean plated mail (lang. korean)
  • 몽고습래회사(蒙古襲來繪詞)
  • 정지(鄭地1347∼1391)장군 경번갑(鏡幡甲)