Goryeo Armor

Timeline

1. 918–1100Kaesong · KaesongAfter the founding of Goryeo, armor traditions of Tang and Silla were inherited, chiefly iron lamellae laced into breast-and-back plates, arm guards, and greaves, paired with helmets and face guards. The central government set up the Armaments Bureau and Military Equipment Bureau for production, while local provinces and garrisons also maintained workshops, supplying the royal guard and frontier forces.
2. 1231–1270Ganghwa Island · Ganghwa CountySeven Mongol invasions forced Goryeo to strengthen its armor: heavier lamellar layering, added side protection, and demand for horse armor, alongside experiments with bows, arrows, and firearms. Historical sources and the weapons entries in the History of Goryeo reflect wartime emergency mobilization and workshop expansion, forming the typical heavy infantry and cavalry protection of the anti-Mongol period.
3. 1330–1392Kaesong · KaesongFrom 1341 to 1350 CE, Goryeo's factional politics coexisted with Red Turban and wokou threats; the central royal guard and local private troops were still equipped per the old system with lamellar armor and ring mail. The royal capital's and each province's military command offices were responsible for inspection and issue; some excavated iron lamellae and murals (such as tomb procession scenes) show that armor of the time still emphasized laced lamellae combined with helmets and face masks.
4. 1392–1450Hanseong · SeoulAfter Yi Seong-gye founded Joseon, the military system and Armaments Bureau inherited Goryeo's stockpiles and workshop system; armor forms gradually standardized from lamellar foundations into the Joseon-style combination of iron lamellae and paper armor. Goryeo armor entered the early Joseon military system as both physical artifacts and institutional legacy.