in Yeocheon City about 300 years ago, and handed down his expertise and knowledge. "Today, it is estimated that bowyers from Yecheon and its environs produce approximately 70% of Korea's traditional horn composite bows ...Yecheon has produced numerous Olympic medalists and world champion archers". The city has the Jinho International Archery Field. Construction and competition The Gakgung is a highly reflexed version of the classic Eurasian composite bow. The core is bamboo with sinew backed to prevent the bow breaking and to add a pulling strength to the limbs, with oak at the handle. On the belly is water buffalo horn which significantly increases the power by pushing the limbs. This combination of horn which pushes from the belly and sinew that pulls from the back is the defining strength of the bow. The siyahs, the stiffened outer ends of the limbs, are made of either mulberry or black locust and V-spliced onto the bamboo. The glue is made from isinglass. Over the sinew backing is a special birch bark that is imported from Northeast China. It is soaked in sea water for about one year. It is applied to the back using diluted rubber cement (using benzene as the solvent). No sights or other modern attachments are used. The draw weights vary, but most are above twenty kilograms. The cost for this type of bow is in the US$800 range. For a similar modern version made of laminated fiberglass, the cost is US$200–300. For most competitions, either bow may be used, with carbon-fiber arrows, but for national competitions, only the composite bow and bamboo arrows may be used. Korean archers have also been very successful in Olympic and other competitions with more modern types of bow. The sukgung, a kind of crossbow, and the Gak-gung are a small but very powerful bow. A sukgung can shoot up to while a Gak-gung can shoot up to . <The record in 2011 was a record of flying about 428.8m using a pyeonjeon with a 57-pound modern improved Gak-gung.> The art of constructing traditional Korean bows was designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property in 1971. See also Chinese bow Composite bow Japanese bow Mongol bow Turkish archery Pyeonjeon Singijeon Kwon Museok - gakgung artisan and Korean intangible cultural asset References Further reading Korean Traditional Archery. Duvernay TA, Duvernay NY. Handong Global University, 2007. External links Korean Traditional Archery The Way of the