Iron Armor

There are two types of armor: plate armor, made by linking a number of large iron plates, and scale armor, made by linking many small iron plates. The armor excavated from historic sites in Gujeongdong is plate armor, consisting of a number of long iron plates vertically linked with one another, a feature that is unique to armor found on the Korean Peninsula. The armor can be divided into a body shield and a separate neck guard. This is one of the oldest suits of armor ever found in the Korean Peninsula. Armor was first made and used as protection in the 4th century, when rivalries and conflicts among Korea’s ancient kingdoms began to intensify in the Yeongnam region.