Hwacha

A hwacha or hwach'a (화차; 火車) (fire cart) was a multiple rocket launcher developed by Koreans and deployed in the defence of Korea against Japanese invasion in the 1590s. It had the ability to fire up to 200 singijeon, a type of fire arrow rocket, at one time. The hwacha consisted of a two-wheeled cart carrying a board filled with holes into which the singijeon were inserted.

Some East Asian historians believe this technological breakthrough, alongside the turtle ship in the mid-16th century, had a distinctive effect during the Imjin War. Today, hwachas appear in Korean museums, national parks, and popular culture.

History

Long before the development of the hwachas, China imposed severe restrictions on exporting gunpowder to Joseon Korea, fiercely guarding a military asset. Yet gunpowder weapons were key to the Koreans in maintaining a predominant navy in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to protect fishermen and merchants against the increasing numbers of invading Japanese and Wokou pirates.