Korean Traditional Archery

Korean archery is distinguished by two things: the bow and the distance. The gakgung is a short composite bow of horn, sinew, bamboo and birch bark that reverses its curve when strung, powerful for its size, and the standard target sits at 145 metres - far beyond Olympic distance, which is why there are no bullseye rings, only a hit or a miss on a large board. Practice is not silent: shooting takes place at a jeongganjeong, a pavilion, where a caller announces hits and clubs keep centuries of etiquette about greeting the range and the order of shooting. Hwanghakjeong, on the slope behind Sajik park in Seoul, is the surviving pavilion of the five that once served the capital and traces its founding to 1899. Watching is free, and some clubs run taster sessions for visitors with a modern bow rather than a horn one.

The main sights

• The 145-metre shot - hit or miss, no scoring rings.
• The horn bow - short, reflexed, laminated from horn and sinew.
• The pavilion etiquette - greetings, order, and the hit caller.
• Hwanghakjeong - the surviving Seoul range, founded 1899.

When to go

April to June and September to November, in the afternoon when clubs are active. Watching is free; ask before entering the shooting line.

Good to know

It is a members' club sport, not an attraction - there is nothing laid on for visitors at most pavilions. Taster sessions use modern bows; the horn bow takes years. At 145 metres, little of the skill is visible from the pavilion.

Nearby

Sajik park and Gyeongbokgung are below Hwanghakjeong; Inwangsan is above.