A signal fire was a military communication tool for notifying of an emergency situation occurring on the borders and coastal areas of the central government during the Joseon Dynasty. This system was carried out through an agreed upon signal delivery ...
A signal fire was a military communication tool for notifying of an emergency situation occurring on the borders and coastal areas of the central government during the Joseon Dynasty. This system was carried out through an agreed upon signal delivery system using torches and smoke. This system was utilized in a primitive way since the ancient Three Nation Period and it was regularly used in the Coryo Dynasty. Then, during the time of King Sejong in the Joseon Dynasty it was largely organized and operated nationally until 1895. Therefore, it was in the Joseon Dynstany that the signal fire system was used as the communication system in the most developed form in premodern society. Signal fires are classified into Capital (Kyung) signal fires, Coastal (Yeonbyeon) signal fires, and Zoning (Gweonseol) signal fires according to the individual properties. As the building method varied according to each signal fire, the structure and form of the signal fire varied as well. An inland signal fire, which is to be reviewed in this thesis, refers to the signal fires that were located inland, taking on the connective role between the signal fires on a distant borderline area and with the centralized Capitol signal fire located in the capital city. This study focuses on three features of inland signal fires among the various features, one being a protective wall, a smoke-producing stand, and an entrance facility. The protective wall was of various plane types according to the geographical conditions and the average size was 70-80m. Most smoke-producing stands were located inside the protective wall but sometimes they were located outside. The entrance facility signal fires differed in numbers and building method; however, most of them were open-style. Thisstudy provides an opportunity to understand the general structure and form of inland signal fires.