March 31, 2025
Can Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s “Turtle Ship" be Granted Honorary Patent Status?
The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), led by Commissioner KIM Wan Ki, announced on March 31, 2025, that it has selected 15 outstanding historic inventions to be considered for honorary patent registrations to commemorate the upcoming 60th anniversary of Invention Day*. These include the nationally iconic and historically innovative inventions, such as the Geobukseon (turtle ship) and Cheugugi (rain gauge). The 15 inventions will be subject to the official patent examination process to determine their registration status as honorary patents.
* Invention Day: A national commemorative day established to honor the invention of the world's first rain gauge, Cheugugi, on May 19, 1441.
<KIPO Begins Patent Examination for 15 Historic Inventions>
KIPO patent examiners, prior art search agencies, and the National Science Museum worked together to review 65 recommended inventions. Ultimately, 15 inventions** were selected after a comprehensive assessment of their historical significance and technological characteristics and will undergo the formal patent examination process. For example, the Geobukseon was recognized for its innovative armored cover shaped like a turtle shell, which protected crew members from enemy fire and prevented enemy boarding, and the Cheugugi was noted for being a systematic rain gauge to help with agriculture and resource management developed over 200 years ahead of its Western counterparts.
The technical details and key features of the selected inventions have been formatted as patent specifications for the examination process. KIPO patent examiners will make assessments based on 1) whether the invention was unprecedented at the time (novelty), 2) whether the invention improved upon and advanced existing technologies (inventive step), and 3) whether the invention could be practically applied in daily life or industrial settings (industrial applicability).
In the case of the Geobukseon (Turtle Ship), it was a warship optimized for frontal assaults, featuring an armored deck with iron spikes, as well as a cannon installed in the dragon head at the bow. But was it truly the first ship with an armored upper deck and was it more advanced and useful invention than the Panokseon from a defense industry perspective? Similarly, the Cheugugi, known as the world's first rain gauge, was a cylindrical precipitation measurement instrument placed on a stone pedestal. Given the technological standards of its time, was the Cheugugi an innovative and useful invention for agriculture? The overall determination of patent examination of these inventions is expected to be made by the end of April.
** Angbuilgu (Hemispherical sundial), Geojunggi (Pulley crane for heavy objects), Cheugugi (Rain gauge), Ajabang Ondol (Cross-sectioned layout for floor heating), Singijeongi Hwacha (Mobile launching cart for rocket-propelled arrows), Jagyeokru (Mechanized self-striking water clock), Honcheon Clock (Celestial globe clock), Punggidae (Wind observatory platform), Daedongyeojido (Catographically accurate map of the Korean Peninsula), Bigyeokjin cheonroe (Timed-detonation iron bomb), Geobukseon (Ironclad ship resembling a turtle shell), Gwansanggam Gwancheondae (Astronomical observation stone platform), Metallurgical technique for refining silver, Seokbinggo (Underground Stone Ice Cellar), and Printing method using movable metal type.
<Honorary Patent Certificates & Special Exhibition at the 60th Invention Day>
For the inventions which are granted patent registration, KIPO will issue honorary patent certificates and showcase them in a special exhibition at the upcoming Invention Day ceremony on May 19, 2025 in Coex Magok. Additionally, inventions by Korean independence activists, key inventions that contributed to Korea's industrial development, and other distinguished inventions will be displayed.
This year's event will also include an awards ceremony recognizing contemporary inventors, as well as a conference on innovation technologies and future generations. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the past, present, and future of Korean inventions.
Director General KIM Jeong Gyun of the Intellectual Property Policy Bureau at KIPO, remarked, "Inventions have always been closely tied to our daily lives, from the time of our ancestors to the present. It is our hope that this event will serve as a meaningful opportunity to highlight Korea's historical achievements in invention and reaffirm the importance of innovation for today and the future."
