Joseon's Firefighters

Did you know that Joseon had a world-class 'professional fire brigade' 600 years ago? In 1426 (the 8th year of King Sejong's reign), after a major fire devastated the capital, King Sejong established Korea's first professional firefighting organization, the 'Myeolhwagun' (Fire Extinguishing Army). Operating on a 24-hour standby system, the Myeolhwagun monitored fires day and night from watchtowers and was equipped with specialized firefighting tools like grappling hooks and water buckets, immediately dispatching to fires when they occurred. Having dedicated professional firefighters at a national level, operating 24 hours a day for fire prevention and rescue, was a remarkably advanced system for its time, rarely seen elsewhere in the world.