During the Samhan period (c. first century BCE-fourth century CE), the people of the Korean peninsula worked the land and harvested crops using iron farming tools, including hoes, axes, plows, and scythes. Iron tools were adopted for almost every stage of the farming process, reducing manual labor, producing a higher yield, and in turn, serving as a catalyst for a significant rise in population. As such, iron farming tools played a crucial role in the social development of the time.