Updated: 04 February, 2006
Korea (North)
Orders and Medals of North Korea Lukasz Gaszewski
Medals of the Korean War Mike Nielsen
North Korea declares soldier 1st hero of century for bravery A North Korean army officer who threw himself on an anti-tank grenade to save hundreds of soldiers in training became the communist country's first hero of this century. KCNA said Kim bestowed the title posthumously on Kim Ki-bong and that senior military leaders handed the officer's widow other medals and a certificate. "Kim died a heroic death after saving hundreds of soldiers," said KCNA of the officer. "The moment an anti-tank grenade was about to go off in an accident during a training on February 24 he lost no time to throw himself over the exploding grenade." etaiwannews.com 1 May 04
[Another Korea] (88) Honoring Order of Medals All states decorate their citizens for some exceptional acts of bravery and courage and North Korea is no exception. If anything, its system of orders is especially elaborate if compared to that of most other countries. For the author, a former Soviet citizen, the North Korean system of decorations looks quite familiar. Indeed, it has much in common with the Soviet system. Such was the situation in most other Communist countries as well. However, the North Koreans never admit this fact: all kinds of foreign influences are taboo for the regime which tries to present itself as an embodiment of the ``true’’ national spirit. Like the former Soviet Union, North Korea has a three-tier system of decorations. At the top level, there are two special honorary titles. The second level includes several orders and lastly, there is a multitude of the various medals. The highest of all decorations is the honorary title of the ``Hero of the DPRK,’’ first introduced in 1950 (once again a copy of the Soviet title, introduced in 1934). Every recipient of this title is also automatically decorated with the Order of State Banner. The bearers of the title are also issued a special gold medal, which is considered to be the most prestigious award in the country. There is another honorary title of ``Labor Hero of the DPRK.’’ This title, awarded for labor, rather than military exploits is less prestigious than the ``Hero of the DPRK,’’ but still well above all other regular decorations. Its recipients are also issued with a special medal. Most of the recipients received their titles during the Korean War. In later decades it was awarded for acts of exceptional bravery _ quite often, posthumously. In the 1970s, the title was posthumously awarded to a secret police officer. What was his heroic act? He was supervising some underground construction work when things went terribly wrong. The workers realized that an explosive device would work prematurely. However, the officer did not run away. He covered his body with the sacral letters of Kim Il-sung’s name that had just been affixed to the wall and was killed in the explosion. For a long time, the Order of the State Banner was the highest decoration of the country. First introduced in October 1948, the order has three degrees. However, in March 1972 the newly introduced Order of Kim Il-sung became the top decoration in the North. In addition to this, North Korea also has other government decorations _ the Order of Labor Achievements and the Order of Banner of the Three Revolutions. They are usually awarded to people who have distinguished themselves in revolution and construction in peacetime labor. Below the regular orders, there are the many medals. Some of them are issued to commemorate particular events such as a major military campaign, and are awarded to people who distinguish themselves on such occasions. Others are just minor orders and are less prestigious than above mentioned ones. The North Korean state has been quite generous with decorations. Excluding medals, it has given away some six million orders over the last half century. Therefore, a high-level bureaucrat or army top brass can easily sport a dozen different orders. This makes for a rather peculiar picture, since North Korean orders tend to be quite large in size. The suit of such an official is somewhat akin to medieval armor, shining with stars large and small (most of the North Korean orders have the shape of stars). The North Korean system of state decorations has another peculiarity that was also derived from the USSR. Schools, factories and military units, even cities, can also be decorated with an order. For example, in March 1998, the editing board of the ``Korean Annual’’ was decorated with the Order of the State Banner, First Degree. The orders entitle their bearers to a number of privileges. For example, a person who has been decorated with the Order of the State Banner, First Degree, is entitled to free public transportation. He or she is also given monthly subsidies. Nowadays, in the era of runaway inflation, this does not mean much, but until the early 1990s such subsidies were significant, amounting to some 15 percent of the average salary. Last but not least, such a person is eligible for early retirement _ men can retire at 55 and women at 50. It remains to be seen how this system will work in the present age of half-hearted market reform. But that will be another story… times.hankooki.com 9 Sep 04
Independence medal for Japanese lawyer For the first time, a Japanese citizen will receive the Order of Merit for National Foundation, a medal usually reserved for those who contributed to Korea's independence when the country was still a Japanese colony. The late Hoose Dassuji, a Japanese lawyer who lived from 1879 to 1953, will become the first Japanese recipient of the medal. He defended several Koreans who stood trial for independence activities. Among them, he represented Kim Ji-seob, an independence fighter who threw bombs at the Japanese prime minister and at the leading official in charge of the Korean peninsula in Tokyo. He also represented Park Yeol, who plotted in 1926 to kill the Japanese emperor and other Japanese royalty. Due to his activities, Mr. Dassuji lost his license to practice. joongangdaily.joins.com 12 Oct 04
|
|
Spying for the Kims -- ex-agent tells a bit A 62-year-old man who lives in Kobe claims he spent a quarter century as a North Korean spy. The man, who goes by the pseudonym "Isao Sakamoto," said his job wasn't glamorous and didn't involve cloak-and-dagger. He merely provided North Korean officials with information publicly available or gleaned through private conversations with Japanese politicians or figures in the mass media. However, he added that he was proud to be one of a very few Japanese to receive secret-agent training in Pyongyang and to receive medals for his services. japantimes.co.jp 15 Jun 05 |
DPRK Orders and Medals Awarded to Chinese Many Chinese who contributed to the construction of the Taean Friendship Glass Factory were awarded orders and medals of the DPRK A Friendship Order First Class was awarded to Wu Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the vice-premier of the State Council of China; Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai; Chinese ambassador to the DPRK Wu Donghe; vice-minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Dawei; assistant to Minister of Commerce Chen Jian; Chairman of the Yaohua Glass Group Corporation of China and Secretary of its party committee Cao Tianping; General Director of the corporation Teng Fuquan and An Min, the vice-minister of Commerce, and Friendship Orders Second Class to 16 persons and Friendship Medals to 55 persons in recognition of their support for the Korean people in their efforts to build a great prosperous and powerful socialist nation and for their contribution to the building of the factory as a monumental edifice to be recorded in the annals of DPRK-China friendship. korea-rp.co.jp 15 Nov 05
NK Awards Medal to US Aid Worker North Korea has for the first time conferred a medal to a U.S. citizen. Han Song-ryol, deputy chief of North Korea’s mission to the United Nations, awarded a ``goodwill’’ medal to the widow of Ellsworth Culver, co-founder and former president of Mercy Corps, an international aid agency. The posthumous medal was awarded on behalf of the Presidium of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly. ``The deceased is one of pioneers who made efforts achieve a new development of North Korea-U.S. relations during his life,’’ the news agency quoted Han as saying. ``He made a material contribution to our people and was a great man who had invariably improved civil-level North Korea-U.S. ties, even at a time when North Korea-U.S. relations were politically weakened.’’Culver, who died in August aged 78, visited North Korea about 20 times as the chief of Mercy Corps. to deliver medical and food supplies to the hunger-stricken country. times.hankooki.com 15 Jan 06
