"Three, two, one, fire!" At the battery commander's command, the artillery battalion of the Eagle Brigade under the Army's 5th Infantry Division launched live rounds from its K105A1 wheeled self-propelled howitzer for the first time since the unit's establishment. As an artillery battalion responsible for providing fire support to the 27th and 36th Infantry Brigades — frontline General Outpost (GOP) units within the same division — the battalion showcased formidable firepower.
The 5th Division's Eagle Brigade artillery battalion conducted its inaugural live-fire exercise at the Darakdae Training Field in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, on April 22, verifying its rapid fire-response posture. The exercise mobilized approximately 180 troops along with K105A1 wheeled self-propelled howitzers and fire direction vehicles, firing 50 high-explosive rounds. The 5th Division is an infantry division under the 5th Corps, serving as a frontline barrier division stationed along the central-western front.
The star of this exercise, the K105A1 wheeled self-propelled howitzer, drew attention at the May 2022 inauguration ceremony of the 20th President Yoon Suk-yeol, when seven self-propelled guns rapidly reloaded and fired 21 salute rounds. This is the 105mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer known as "Poongik."
The 105mm towed howitzer is the oldest artillery piece still operated by the Korean military, having served for more than 70 years since before the Korean War. It first appeared on the Korean Peninsula in July when one battery was attached to Task Force Smith — the first U.S. unit to participate in the Korean War — and deployed in the Battle of Osan.
It later became the mainstay of Korean artillery through mass supply to the Korean military. About 3,000 units were provided by the United States. Since 1977, the M101 has been produced under license domestically and still accounts for a certain portion of artillery forces in terms of numbers. The military has reborn the aging 105mm howitzer as the K105A1 "Poongik" wheeled self-propelled howitzer by modifying and mounting it on a 5-ton military truck.
A self-propelled howitzer is an artillery piece that strikes enemies by firing shells along a trajectory curved between that of a flat-trajectory gun and a mortar. The latest self-propelled howitzers have absorbed the advantages of flat-trajectory guns, significantly extending their range through features such as long-barrel mounting.
Firing accuracy has improved through computerized gunnery and automatic laying. Firepower has grown even stronger with the development of advanced munitions including precision-guided shells, mine-dispersing shells, and reconnaissance shells. A representative model is the 105mm howitzer, designed during World War I based on the French 75mm field gun. The U.S. military adopted the "M101 model" as a mainstay artillery piece for the Army and Marine Corps.
The K105A1 "Poongik" 105mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer is the "Korean version of MOBAT" (towed recoilless gun) that replaced the existing 4.2-inch mortar. It is a main weapon at the division level in the Korean military. The designation honors Lieutenant Colonel Kim Poong-ik, an artillery officer during the Korean War. He was a war hero who died alongside his unit members when struck by enemy tank shells at the Battle of Chuksungnyeong in Uijeongbu on June 26, 1950.
There are three main reasons for repurposing the 105mm towed howitzer into a wheeled self-propelled howitzer. First is the large quantity held in inventory. The military possesses about 2,000 units along with approximately 3.4 million rounds of ammunition. Although some point out that the ammunition is aging, it remains an economical weapon system. Second, it is highly effective in local warfare. The 105mm howitzer, which is lighter than a mortar, has much higher accuracy.
Finally, it offers the advantage of short deployment time. On the battlefield, shortened deployment time means rapid firing capability. Instead of digging into frozen ground, simply lowering four hydraulically operated legs completes deployment, allowing immediate firing. While the first-round firing time for a 105mm towed gun operated by 11 personnel took about 4 minutes and 30 seconds, the Poongik needs only 1 minute with a crew of three.
Its greatest strength is the automatic fire control system. After receiving and inputting coordinates for the attack target, the gunner loads and fires the round with very high accuracy. Its crisis-response capability, supporting automatic, semi-automatic, and manual laying, is also noteworthy. If the muzzle laying drive system malfunctions, semi-automatic firing is possible using a joystick, and even in cases of severe damage, manual firing via lever remains possible.
Mobility performance is also excellent. It boasts a top speed of 70 km/h along with the braking power to climb 31-degree slopes with 60% grade without difficulty and to hold position while tilted. Because it does not take up much space, it can deliver firepower more quickly than the 155mm self-propelled howitzer, making it highly effective in close-range combat within 10 kilometers.
For this reason, the Army has incorporated the Poongik self-propelled howitzer as part of the "Army Tiger" advanced weapons combat brigade. Frontline units compare the self-propelled howitzers to Korean-made fighter jets, likening the K9 self-propelled howitzer to the KF-21 and the Poongik to the T-50 series or KT-1. While not the most advanced, it offers high utility and excellent cost-effectiveness.
