Battle of Jinpo

A Goryeo fleet under Na Se, Sim Deok-bu and Choe Mu-seon burned some 500 pirate ships at Jinpo with cannon — the first naval battle in Korean history fought with gunpowder artillery.

Jinpo lies at the mouth of the Geum River, between today’s Gunsan and Seocheon. The pirates had lashed their ships together, left part of their force on guard and gone off to plunder the interior of Chungcheong and Jeolla. About a hundred Goryeo warships set the fleet ablaze with cannon made by the Gunpowder Weapons Office (Hwatong Dogam).

Stranded, the pirates scattered inland, pillaging until Yi Seong-gye destroyed them at Hwangsan in Unbong, Namwon, that ninth month. Jinpo was the first demonstration of Choe Mu-seon’s gunpowder weapons, and three years later cannon again proved decisive in Jeong Ji’s victory at Gwaneumpo. Choe’s gunpowder know-how passed through his son Choe Hae-san into early Joseon weapons development.