Why do the North Korean military have many awards? Korean orders

Has everyone seen the North Korean generals hung with awards up to their knees? User remch-ch tells what they (and not only them) are hung with:

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Medal “For the Liberation of Korea”

Established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of Korea on October 16, 1948 “to commemorate the eternal gratitude of the Korean people to the Great Soviet Army, which liberated Korea from the Japanese imperialists.”

Av.: In the middle, against the background of the sun's rays, is an image of the Monument of Liberation, Glory and Gratitude, installed in Moranbong Park in Pyongyang, surrounded by a wreath of laurel branches, at the intersection of which there is a ribbon with the inscription: LIBERATION.

Rv.: Smooth, slightly concave, in the middle there is an inscription in two lines: KOREA 1945.8.15.
Diameter 33 mm. Silver. The ribbon is red, with wide blue stripes along both edges, separated from the middle by narrow white stripes. The tape is glued to a pentagonal metal block with a horizontal pin on the back for attaching to clothing.

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Medal “In Memory of the Liberation of the Motherland”

Av.: Half-length profile left-facing images of two fighters going on the attack under a banner; There is a tank in the background and two planes above.
Rv.: In the middle, under a five-pointed star, there is an inscription in two lines, below are the dates: 1950-1953.
Diameter 36 mm. Silver. The ribbon is red with a dark blue stripe in the middle, edged with yellow stripes.

Medal “In Memory of the Liberation of the Motherland”

Aluminum, paint, pin Rectangular block: 29.5x15 mm Suspension: d – 34 mm

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Medal “For Military Merit”

Medal "Participant in the War of Liberation"

Commemorative Medal of the Liberation War

Medal of Honor “For Military Service”

Silver. The ribbon is red, with two yellow and green stripes in the middle

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Military Supply Service Medal “For 10 Years of Service”

Aluminum, paint Pentagonal block: 33x40 mm Suspension: d – 46 mm

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Military Supply Service Medal “For 20 Years of Service”

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Military Supply Service Medal “For 30 Years of Service”

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Medal “For Distinction in Agriculture”

Diameter 33 mm. Silver. The ribbon is green, with a thin red edging and a wide yellow stripe in the middle, in the center of which there is a narrow red stripe.

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Medal “For Labor Distinction”

Cupronickel gilding enamel
There are 3 options: 1 and 2 Made in the USSR in the 1950s. Made in the USSR in the 1970s.

3 Produced in North Korea.

Medal for the Construction of the Capital

Medal for the construction of the Nanpo-Pyongyang road

Medal “60th Anniversary of the DPRK Army”

ORDER OF FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE

Military leaders and commanders are awarded for outstanding achievements and skill on the battlefield: 1st degree - commanders of divisions and brigades; 2nd degree - commanders of regiments, battalions and companies. Recently, it has been awarded (in particular to foreigners) for non-combat distinctions.

Order of Freedom and Independence 2nd class (Soviet production) Original name: Chayu Tongnip Hunchang

Av.: A five-pointed star, covered with red enamel, superimposed on a plate in the form of rays emanating from one center. In the middle, in a circle, surrounded by a gold ring, is an image of the commander of the Korean People's Army carrying the soldiers with him against a background of tanks and airplanes. The upper ray of the star is covered with a red flag with blue edges and the inscription “For the Fatherland” in Korean characters.

Rv.: Smooth, with a depression in the middle, with the name of the order and the designation of the degree in Korean.
Diameter 58 mm. Silver (base), silver, gilding (star and ring), enamel. Fastening - screw. The ribbon for permanent wear is green, with wide white stripes and a red edging along the edges and a yellow stripe in the center.

ORDER "IN MEMORY OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DPRK"

On the anniversary of the 20th anniversary of the DPRK, the awards were given to leaders of party, government and other socialist organizations, public figures and workers who have rendered outstanding services and achievements worthy of encouragement in the implementation of party policies or for activities aimed at strengthening the military potential of the DPRK or strengthening the Workers' Party of Korea.

Order "In Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the DPRK" Original name: Choson Minchu Chuui Inmin Konghwa Kuk Ch"angkun 20 Chunyun Kinyum Hunchang

Av.: Five-pointed star superimposed on a laurel wreath; in the center of the star on a white enamel background is the gilded coat of arms of the DPRK, surrounded by a gold ring; under the upper ray of the star there is a waving red, white and blue enamel flag of the DPRK.

Rv.: Counterstamp with the name of the order in Korean characters, date 1968.9.9 (September 9, 1968). Fastening - hairpin. Diameter 55 mm, distance between the ends of the beams 60 mm. Bronze, gilding, enamel. A ribbon for permanent wearing of the colors of the DPRK flag, with a wide red stripe in the center and blue and white stripes along the edges.

ORDER "IN MEMORY OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE KOREAN PEOPLE'S ARMY"

ORDER "IN MEMORY OF THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF THE FATHERLAND"

Av.: Ten-rayed silver radiant star; in the middle is a round medallion covered in red enamel, surrounded by a gold ring, with a gilded image of a soldier raising the DPRK flag in the air superimposed on it.

Rv.: The reverse side has a counter-stamp of rays and a smooth middle with the name of the order placed on it in Korean characters and a vertical pin.
Diameter 60 mm. White metal.

ORDER OF SOLDIERS' GLORY

Order of Soldier's Glory 1st class

Order of Soldier's Glory 2nd class

Size: 46x50 mm Silver MMD

ORDER OF THE NATIONAL FLAG

Awarded to individuals, teams and organizations that have rendered outstanding services or achievements in the field of politics, culture and economics, as well as for outstanding activities in the ranks of the Workers' Party of Korea (1st class for 25 years, 2nd class for 20 years, and 3rd degree for 15 years).
It was the first insignia created in North Korea and, before the establishment of the Order of Kim Il Sung, the country's highest order.

Order of the State Flag. 1st grade (Korean made) Original title: Kukki Hunchang

Rv.: Counter-stamp with the name of the order and the designation of the degree in Korean. Diameter 72 mm. Silver, gilding, enamel. Fastening - horizontal pin. Red ribbon with a wide yellow stripe in the middle.

Order of the State Flag. 2nd degree (Korean manufacture)

Av.: A pentagonal base with a five-pointed star superimposed on it with three small balls at each end. In the center of the sign is a small gilded five-pointed star in a circle. The circle is superimposed on a ten-pointed star covered in red, white and blue enamel.

Rv.: Smooth, slightly concave with the name of the order and the designation of the degree in Korean.
Diameter 64 mm. Silver (base), silver, gilding (star), enamel. Fastening - vertical pin. Red ribbon for permanent wear with two yellow stripes in the middle.

Order of the State Flag. 3rd degree (Korean manufacture)

Rv.: Counter-stamp with the name of the order and the designation of the degree in Korean. Diameter 52 mm. White metal, gilding (star in the center), enamel. Fastening - horizontal pin. Red ribbon with three yellow stripes in the middle.

ORDER OF FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE

Order of Freedom and Independence 2nd class (Soviet production) Original name: Chayu Tongnip Hunchang

ORDER "IN MEMORY OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DPRK"

Order "In Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the DPRK" Original name: Choson Minchu Chuui Inmin Konghwa Kuk Ch"angkun 20 Chunyun Kinyum Hunchang

ORDER "IN MEMORY OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE KOREAN PEOPLE'S ARMY"

ORDER "IN MEMORY OF THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF THE FATHERLAND"

Rv.: The reverse side has a counter-stamp of rays and a smooth middle with the name of the order placed on it in Korean characters and a vertical pin.
Diameter 60 mm. White metal.

ORDER OF SOLDIERS' GLORY

Order of Soldier's Glory 1st class

Order of Soldier's Glory 2nd class

Size: 46x50 mm Silver MMD

ORDER OF THE NATIONAL FLAG

Order of the State Flag. 1st grade (Korean made) Original title: Kukki Hunchang

Order of the State Flag. 2nd degree (Korean manufacture)

Order of the State Flag. 3rd degree (Korean manufacture)

ORDER OF FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE

Order of Freedom and Independence 2nd class (Soviet production) Original name: Chayu Tongnip Hunchang

ORDER "IN MEMORY OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DPRK"

Order "In Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the DPRK" Original name: Choson Minchu Chuui Inmin Konghwa Kuk Ch"angkun 20 Chunyun Kinyum Hunchang

ORDER "IN MEMORY OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE KOREAN PEOPLE'S ARMY"

ORDER "IN MEMORY OF THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF THE FATHERLAND"

Rv.: The reverse side has a counter-stamp of rays and a smooth middle with the name of the order placed on it in Korean characters and a vertical pin.
Diameter 60 mm. White metal.

ORDER OF SOLDIERS' GLORY

Order of Soldier's Glory 1st class

Order of Soldier's Glory 2nd class

Size: 46x50 mm Silver MMD

ORDER OF THE NATIONAL FLAG

Order of the State Flag. 1st grade (Korean made) Original title: Kukki Hunchang

Order of the State Flag. 2nd degree (Korean manufacture)

Order of the State Flag. 3rd degree (Korean manufacture)

The order is a European, Western invention, and in Korea orders appeared relatively recently, a little less than a century ago. Before this, in Korea, of course, they also awarded soldiers who distinguished themselves in battle or exemplary officials, but these awards were usually quite material, monetary. However, one should not think that the ancestors of the Koreans were such pragmatists: honorary titles that did not provide any material benefits were also often awarded in old Korea. However, there were no orders or medals here until the end of the last century.

Only in 1900, that is, at a time when Koreans began to actively borrow new Western ideas and inventions, and generally rebuild the entire life of the country in a new way, did the first Korean regulation on orders appear. The orders quickly gained popularity among the Korean elite, and in old photographs from the beginning of the century, generals, dignitaries, and the king himself are often depicted in Western-style uniforms, with huge epaulets, and with many order insignia on the chest.

However, just 10 years later, in 1910, Korea lost its independence, and the independent system of Korean orders and medals ceased to exist. State awards were established again only after the proclamation of the Republic of Korea in 1948. The first award of independent Korea was the Order of Merit in the Establishment of the State, which was established on April 27, 1949. The Korean award system was finally formed by 1963, when the law “On State Awards” came into force, which, with some changes, is still in effect today.

Currently, there are 10 orders in Korea, each of which, in turn, has several degrees. Moreover, unlike the Soviet/Russian system, degrees are not numbered, but have special names (each order has its own). There are also order ribbons in Korea, and the insignia of the highest degrees of most orders can be worn on a special neck sling on ceremonial occasions. In their form, Korean orders are multi-rayed stars. It is curious, by the way, that outwardly the signs of different degrees of the same order are almost indistinguishable from each other.

Korea's highest honor is the Order of Merit in Establishing the State. Unlike other orders, it has only three degrees (the highest is “republican”, the middle is “presidential”, the lowest is “civil”). Initially, this order was awarded to participants in the liberation movement, heroes of the struggle for independence (many of them were awarded this award posthumously). Subsequently, this order was also awarded for a special contribution to the development and strengthening of the Korean state. It is an eight-pointed golden star, in the center of which is one of the symbols of Korea - a circle formed by two drop-shaped signs that symbolize the positive and negative principles of “yin” and “yang”. The same emblem is depicted on the Korean national flag, and the "drops" on the flag are the same colors as on the order - one is red and the other is blue.

In addition to this main award, there are nine more orders in Korea, and each of them is awarded for merit in a specific area. The "Order of Labor Distinction" and the "Civil Order" are awarded mainly to civil servants, as well as ordinary citizens who, through their work, have made a special contribution to the development of the country. Often government officials receive orders almost automatically, for unblemished service over a certain period of time. Recently, for example, it was decided that school teachers who have worked in the public education system for more than 40 years are presented with the “Civil Order” of the second degree (this degree is called “Peon”). The “Civil Order” also recognizes the heroic deeds of individuals. One of the latest examples of this is the posthumous awarding of the “Civil Order” to a thirty-three-year-old resident of Busan, who died on June 20 this year while rescuing children drowning at sea. By the way, simultaneously with the presentation of the order, his family was also paid by the government a one-time allowance of 85 million won (approximately 60 thousand dollars at the current exchange rate).

The Order of Military Merit is awarded to participants in the Korean War and persons who distinguished themselves during other military operations of the Korean Army. Currently, 179 thousand people have been awarded it, that is, almost all living participants in hostilities, so in its function it is somewhat reminiscent of the Soviet/Russian Order of the Patriotic War, which in recent years has also begun to be awarded to all veterans.

The remaining six Korean orders are, so to speak, specialized. For military personnel who have distinguished themselves in peacetime, the Order "For the Defense of the Country" is intended. It is curious, by the way, that this order is also awarded to North Korean military personnel who defected to the South (an act, no matter how you look at it, that really requires considerable courage). Thus, in November 1996, the Order for Defense of the Country was received by Lee Chol Soo, a former North Korean pilot who, a few months earlier, had flown his MIG-19 to Seoul.

Particularly successful entrepreneurs and industry organizers are awarded the "Industrial Order". They try to time the massive presentation of this (and many other) awards to coincide with various significant dates. Generally speaking, the old Soviet practice of mass awards “on dates” is not alien to Korea. Thus, this year several mass awards of the “Industrial Order” took place. On March 18, when the “Day of Trade and Industry” was celebrated in Korea, the order was presented to 137 businessmen, including Chung Mong Gu, the president of the largest Korean company Hyundai (in Russia it is often incorrectly called Hyundai). Most recently, on July 6 this year, 28 Korean women also received this order on the occasion of “Women Entrepreneur Day” held in Korea.

Merits in the development of agriculture are recognized with the Order of the New Village. However, now this order has practically ceased to be awarded, at least in the Korean press there has been practically no mention of awards for them in recent years. This, however, is not caused by a decline in interest in agriculture, but by the fact that the very name of the order is reminiscent of the so-called. "Movement for a new village." This movement (by the way, quite successful) was organized by military regimes, the attitude towards which in Korea is now quite negative. It seems that the order has become a victim of such historical associations.

The achievements of creative workers are celebrated in Korea with the "Order of Culture", and athletes - with the "Order of Sports". Sports are taken seriously in Korea, the authorities perceive it as an important means of increasing the international prestige of the country, and ordinary Koreans themselves are passionate fans, which, given their emotionality, is not surprising. Therefore, almost all Korean athletes who have achieved notable success in international competitions become holders of the Order of Sports.

Finally, Korea also has the Order for the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations. It remains as a reminder of the times when South Korea fiercely competed with the North in the international arena. The main indicator of success then was the number of countries that maintained formal diplomatic relations with each of the rival Korean states. The diplomatic duel was long ago and unconditionally won by the South, but a reminder of it remained the order, which is awarded to both Korean citizens and foreigners for merits in the development of ties between Korea and other states (in this regard, it is partly reminiscent of the Soviet Order of Friendship of Peoples). . The last award of this order took place in mid-July, when it was awarded to two scientists - organizers of joint research projects: a Korean - the head of the department of international graduate studies at one of the Seoul universities, and an American - a professor at the University of Kansas.

All Korean orders, except the main one - the Order of Merit in the Creation of the State, have five degrees. As I already mentioned, all degrees have special names, which can be quite flowery. Thus, the five degrees of the “Order of Industry” are called “Golden Tower”, “Silver Tower”, “Copper Tower”, “Iron Tower” and “Stone Tower”. The degrees of the "Civil Order" have "flower" names: "Rose of Sharon" (mugunghwa, symbol of Korea), "Peon", "Camellia", "Magnolia", "Pomegranate". However, in my subjective opinion, the most interesting and colorful names are those of the degrees of the “Order of Sports”, which are called: “Blue Dragon”, “Brave Tiger”, “Mighty Elephant”, “White Horse” and “Unicorn”.

Korean orders are awarded by a special decree signed by the President of the Republic. At the same time, order bearers are often entitled to either one-time cash payments or a lifelong pension. After the death of the recipient, the order remains in the family, but his heirs have no right to sell, destroy, or damage it in any way. If the order bearer commits a crime that is punishable by more than three years in prison, or goes over to the side of the enemy, or by his actions endangers the security of the state, then he, as a rule, is deprived of his awards.

Cases of demonstrative refusal to receive a government award in Korea are rare, but from time to time such incidents do occur. The first of these happened in 1995, when a former member of the Korean parliament, awarded for services to the development of the women's movement, refused the order on the grounds that at the same time people associated with the military regime that she herself was against were nominated for the award. struggled. However, such cases are very few, and in general Koreans take orders quite seriously. The orders themselves are worn here quite rarely, but the order ribbon on the suit is not there, and it catches your eye.