An Academic Analysis of Korean and European Watchmen: A Comparative Study

Recovery efforts of existing South Korean watchtower sites have been conducted as part of local tourism efforts and have contributed to public interest in the conservation and study of said sites. An additional 21 sites have been excavated in 2023, deemed important enough for reconstruction efforts (Yang, 2023). However, while significant research exists on the archeological sites themselves, there is scarcely any public recognition of the soldiers that manned the stations and their subsequent socioeconomic standing. Popular culture has abbreviated depictions of Joseon-dynasty watchtowers to a similar level: (significant for) “an extensive communications network to deliver information about enemy forces, that also employed horseback riders as an emergency backup” (Ntl. Institute of Kor. History, 2024). I argue this depiction is overly generic and implies equivalence to Eurocentric watchtower practices, ignoring the cultural nuances that made the position of the average Joseon-dynasty watchman significantly challenging and fundamentally divergent from then-contemporary watchmen in European countries. This paper subsequently attempts to discern and critically evaluate the sociocultural status of soldiers stationed at Joseon watchtowers (Bonghwa), comparing them against European watchtowers and their socioeconomic conditions. Specific sites include Caernarfon Castle and Cheonlim Bonghwa Watchtower at the site of Cheonlim Mountain, the latter of which has been accompanied by more thorough artifact and observational fieldwork analysis. Recovered artifacts include living quarters, barriers, and tools. Further literature analysis was conducted to discern the socioeconomic standing and practices of Bonghwa watchmen in context of mid-century Joseon dynasty caste systems. In combining fieldwork and sociocultural analysis, I develop a multidimensional account of Joseon watchmen and prove that the soldiers assigned to Joseon watchtowers, Bonghwa, are representative of an underrepresented social dynamic, as well as providing insights into the philosophical and theological differences between the Western sphere through material conditions.