Pyongyang, September 29 (KCNA) -- Choe Mu Son (1326－1395) invented powder and powder weapons for the first time in Korea.

Choe suffered from the Japanese invasion in his childhood. After a decade of strenuous efforts, he succeeded in inventing powder and powder weapons.

Among his inventions are cannons and shells of different shapes.

He reshaped vessels to be suitable for powder weapons.

He was also a famous military commander. Under his command, some 100 cannon-equipped vessels of Koryo, the first united state of Korea, won a big victory in a battle with 500 Japanese vessels in the sea off Jinpho in Aug. 1380.

It was the first gun battle in the sea in the world, with such battle waged in Europe in 1571.