The Korea Army Museum was founded to take leadership in investigating, collecting, preserving and exhibiting various kinds of historic military collections. Housed in the Korea Military Academy, the museum puts in tremendous efforts to research and education of Koreas traditional military heritage.
At first, it opened as Korea Military Academy Museum in 1956. In the early eighties, a major project was launched to build the present day museum building. At the same time, the museum is renamed to the Korea Army Museum, which it is called today. The museum, enriched with the longest history of its kind, holds not only military weapons and equipment but also owns and exhibits all kinds of military relics such as writings of military tactics and military emblems.
In addition, the Korea Military Academy Memorial Hall is an attachment to the museum, founded in 1996 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Korea Military Academy. It is located on the first floor of the school Motto Tower and exhibits historical documents related to the Korea Military Academy. Besides collecting military relics and historical documents, the museum planned to start a surface survey inside the military preservation areas for next 10 years starting from 1994. Thus it provides fundamental information to the research field of military history.

Bulranggijapo(Gun)

Bulranggijapo was designated as a Treasure No.861 on March 14, 1986. This is the only breech-loading gun to ignited and fired by hand with live coal. Bulranggi was made in the west European countries including Portugal in the 15th century, and transferred to Asia as the trading ship arrived Gangdong, China around 1517. It was widely known that the army from Ming Dynasty of China had brought it to Jeseon Dynasy in the 25th year of King Seonjo(1592), Jeseon Dynasy, but this gun had been used already during the reign of King Myeongjong in Jeseon Dynasy by discovering of relics. Bulranggijapo is consisted of two parts, the main gun barrel for a launch platform and the powder chamber for loading a bullet, putting into the main gun barrel, and firing. The general feature of this gun has a long barrel with narrower muzzle. The front sight is set on the upper barrel and the gun sight is set on the upper muzzle of the gun. It has no wheels originally, but a wagon with 4 wheels was developed for the field use by Sin Heon in the 5th year of King Gojong(1868).
This gun was widely utilized for the recovering operation of Fort Pyeongyang during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592, and was deployed to the Chojijin fortress and the Hwangseongbojin Fortress to fight against American warships during the Sinmiyangyo(the invasion of Korea by the five U.S. warships in 1871) in the 8th year of King Gojong, Jeseon Dynasy.
It had long been buried in the ground, but was found in a perfect condition.
Therefore this gun is evaluated as the valuable historical material of the national defense technique to study the history of local firearms.

Geumgo

Bulranggijapo was designated as a Treasure No.864 on March 14, 1986. Drums and gongs are used as the ordering tool in the military operations or signals. The Gum-Go is a kind of gong, and was widely used as one of the essential military equipments to center the attention of troops and to prevent the disorder. This Gumgo was made of bronze in the 19th year of King Seonjo, Jeseon Dynasy(1986). It has an outer diameter of 61cm, the part where was hit by a stick has a carved triangular design like Daeguk design with a 19cm diameter. There are some texts on the edge side for making sure the made age, belonging unit, and the weight. It is a highly valued cultural heritage to study the military history as it was preserved well in spite of its long use in the battle filed and in the training field.

Royal Order to Captain General Jo Jeub

As designation of a Treasure No.1226 on July 19, 1995, this document is the Saryeongwangji (a letter of appointment) of Jo Heub (?∼1420) to Gaseondaebu Jwagundo Chongjebu DongjichongJe(Royal edict appointing Jo Heup as a commander in left army) by the King Taejong in July(leap-month) 13th, the 6th year of King Taejong(1406). Jo Heub, he was a grandson of Jo Min-su who was appointed Changseong Buwongun and Munha Sijung in the late Goryeo Kingdom. He was granted the cultivated land in the first year of King Tae-Jong(1401 A.D.) because of his distinguished service during the Banggan's rebellion in the second year of King Jeongjong(1400 A.D.), and he was promoted to the high official rank in military as the premier rank. This document had been written seven lines vertically in grass character and the royal seal on the line of date. The Royal Seal had been changed Joseon Gukwang Jiin(The King's Seal) into Simeongjibo in the end of King Sejong. This document is estimated as a valuable data for the historical research of document forms of the Royal Seal and the system of personnel management in the early times of Joseon Dynasty.

Picture of Dongnaebu Operations

Picture of Dongnaebu Operations designated as a Treasure No.392 on September 2, 1963. This is the picture describing the war scene that Song Sang-heon, the military and the people is fighting against the Japanese troops at Dongnaeseong fortress in April 15th, the 25th year of King Seonjo(1592 A.D.) Sangheon Song died during the war. It was drawn in 1709 (the 35th year of King Sukjong) first but redrawn in 1760 (the 36th year of King Yeongjo) by Byeon Bak who was from Dongnae. It was drawn on the silk and its size is 96cm wide and 145 cm long. It expressed the fierce war scene by using the birds-eye view to this picture. Dongnaeseong Fortress is placed in the center and soldiers are guarding it from the South turret. The Japanese soldiers are surrounding them over and over again to attack. A scene, at the low part of the castle, the people is fighting to the Japanese soldiers at the risk of their death. In the center of inside fortress, Song Sang-heon who is wearing the red court suit, is sitting toward the north while another military officer Yi Gak and his group are running away to the outside of the north gate. The outline of the mountain in the upper part is expressed by marking with a dot and line and it looks stiff. The quality of the work isn't valued high to its composition, shape and rough painting style. However, it contains a national lesson by expressing the character of people who resist to the last as meeting a great national crisis

Picture of Busanjin Defensive Operations

Picture of Busanjin Defensive Operations designated a Treasure No.391 on September 2, 1963. This is the picture of the war broken out during April 13 to 14, 1592(the 25th year of King Seonjo) with Japan in Busanjin. It was drawn on the silk and its size is 96cm wide and 145cm long. It was drawn in the 35th year of King Sukjong(1709) first and repainted in the 36th year of Yeongjo(1760) by Byeon Bak. But the first one was disappeared. It adopted the birds-eye view that is the angle of overlooking. The Japanese soldiers and ships are surrounding the fortress closely at the center-right of this picture and it shows the differences of military strength between the two nations. The quality of the work isn't valued high but it is regarded as the important historical material representing national spirit.

Samgunbu Cheongheondang

Samgunbu was designated as Tangible Cultural Property 16 on June 7, 1973. It is short for the Uiheung Samgunbu and a military organization to generalize a military command and service. After several changes, Heungseondaewongun(the king's father) reorganized in the 2nd year of King Gojong(1865), but closed and belonged to Tongnigimuamun in the 17th year of King Gojong(1880). It was built in the 5th year of King Gojong(1868), by the Heungseondaewongun(the king's father), the Prince Regent. The building was used as Tongnigimuamun office building in the 17th year of King Gojong(1880), the headquarters of the Royal Guard and the Infantry Headquarters of the army from in the 4th year of King Seonjong(1910) to 1926. This building was moved to here in 1967 from its original location where the Central Government Building now stands and mended in 1977. The school of this house scale is 5 Kan(1 Kan is about 181㎠) in the front and 3 Kan on the side, Paljak roof style in profile. Gongpo, the top of pillar, has the wing shape of bird for supporting and decorating the eaves. This is a hipped-and gabled roof style and typical of late Joseon government office buildings. The letters on the plaques, 'Cheongheondang', was written by Sin Gwanho (1810∼1884, changing his name to Sin Hun).

Monument to Prince Yeollyeonggun

Monument to Prince Yeollyeonggun, Tangible Cultural Property 43 on June 11, 1980. A Monument of this type was erected at the southeast side of a tomb as records of the royal family or the upper class. It is the monument of the 6th Prince Yeollyeonggun of King Sukjong. He was born in the 25th year of King Sukjong(1399), named Myeong in childhood and Munsuk in adulthood, and had been appointed commander-in-chief of the Five Military Commands Headquarters which was an honorary office. When Sukjong was sick Yeollyeonggun nursed him carefully and died young in 21 years old. And the king ordered to make the tomb of Prince Yeollyeong. The shape of monument is its body on a turtle pedestal with roof style of foundation stone. Yi I-myeong, a Prime Minister in the King Sukjong, composed the inscription. Jo Daegu wrote the characters in the printed style and Min Jinwon wrote the title in the ancient style. It was built in the 46th year of King Sukjong(1720), originally located on the grounds of the Daebang Elementary School in Dongjak-gu and moved here in 1967.

Fortress Gun (Russia)

Fortress Gun made in Russia had a 150mm diameter and a 337m gun barrel. It was captured by Japan during the Russo-Japanese War, displayed in the Namsan Shrine and moved to Korea Military museum in March 10, 1967. This Gun was installed a big gun and caterpillar for turning 360 degree on the ground, and then could be firing a gun to turn the direction easily.

155m a high-angle gun (Antiaircraft Gun)

As the same model of the gun that produced for military in America, this antiaircraft gun was the first product in Korea in 1974 with same quality and shape and a 155mm diameter, a weight of 5.8 ton. A truck of 5 ton has pulled it and a shooting range is 14,600m. The operation team needed a squad leader, a shooter, 4~5 gunners as vice-shooters, three ammunition privates and a driver. It equipped an artillery battalion under an army division, but is shifting to K-9 (self-propelled artillery) and K-55 now.