Order of Military Merit (South Korea)
Order of Military Merit | |
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Awarded by ![]() | |
Type | Order of merit |
Awarded for | Outstanding military services by participating in an action in time of war or in quasi-state of war or by performing his/her duty equivalent to combat, such as responding to the attack of an enemy in a contact area. |
Status | Active |
Grades | Gold and Silver stars |
Former grades |
|
Precedence | |
Next (higher) | Grand Order of Mugunghwa |
Related | |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 무공훈장 |
---|---|
Hanja | 武功勳章 |
Revised Romanization | Mugong Hunjang |
McCune–Reischauer | Mugong Hunjang |
The Order of Military Merit (Hangul: 무공훈장) is the primary military decoration awarded by the South Korean government.
It is awarded to a person who rendered "outstanding military services by participating in an action in time of war or in quasi-state of war or by performing his/her duty equivalent to combat, such as responding to the attack of an enemy in a contact area."[1]
History
[edit]On 18 October 1950, law about Order of Military Merit was enacted.
Original names are as follows:
- First Class Order of Military Merit,
- Second Class Order of Military Merit,
- Third Class Order of Military Merit,
- Fourth Class Order of Military Merit
On 19 August 1951, The names were changed as follows:
- Taegeuk Order of Military Merit,
- Eulji Order of Military Merit,
- Chungmu Order of Military Merit,
- Hwarang Order of Military Merit
On 14 December 1963, Inheon Order of Military Merit was added.
Classes and Grades
[edit]The Order of Military Merit is awarded in five classes and each of these has three grades. In descending order of rank, the classes are: Taegeuk (태극), Eulji (을지), Chungmu (충무), Hwarang (화랑) and Inheon (인헌).
Taegeuk (태극), Eulji (을지), Chungmu (충무), Hwarang (화랑) had a first, second or third grade, denoted respectively by a gold star (금성), silver star (은성), or an unadorned ribbon (무성).
For example, Gold Star Taegeuk (금성태극), Silver Star Taegeuk (은성태극), or Unadorned Taegeuk. (무성태극)[2][3]
Since 1964, there are only five classes authorized as below.
Class | Name | Namesake | Ribbon |
---|---|---|---|
1st | Taegeuk[a] (태극) | Taegeuk | ![]() |
2nd | Eulji[b] (을지) | Eulji Mundeok | ![]() |
3rd | Chungmu (충무) | Yi Sun-sin | ![]() |
4th | Hwarang (화랑) | Hwarang | ![]() |
5th | Inheon (인헌) | Gang Gam-chan | ![]() |
Notable recipients
[edit]※ Date: Date is on the certificate document or on database is prior to date of conferment ceremony.
※ Rank: As of awarded date
※ † indicates that the recipient was killed in action.
Taegeuk
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/..._I_hereby_award_the_Order_of_Military_Merit_Taeguk_with_gold_start_to_the_unknown_dead_of_the_armed_forces_of_the_Kingdom_of_Greece_%288668101821%29.jpg/220px-..._I_hereby_award_the_Order_of_Military_Merit_Taeguk_with_gold_start_to_the_unknown_dead_of_the_armed_forces_of_the_Kingdom_of_Greece_%288668101821%29.jpg)
Eulji
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Korean_Ulchi_Medal_with_Silver_Star.jpg/220px-Korean_Ulchi_Medal_with_Silver_Star.jpg)
Chungmu
[edit]Name | Service / Unit | Rank | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lee Dae-yong | Republic of Korea Army | Captain | 1950-12-30 | |
Military attaché | 1972-04-10 | |||
Han Moo-hyup | Republic of Korea Army | ? | 1951-10-04 | |
? | 1953-09-21 | |||
Major General | 1969-02-18 | |||
A. G. Rangaraj | Indian Army, 60th Parachute Field Ambulance | Lieutenant Colonel | 1951-08-21 | |
1951-11-30 | ||||
James McDivitt | United States Air Force | Brigadier General | ? | |
Clayton O. Totman | United States Marine Corps | Brigadier General | ? | |
Denis Earp SSA SD SM SOE | South African Air Force | Lieutenant General | 1961-06-30 | |
Elmo Zumwalt | United States Navy | Admiral | 1969-04-25 |
Hwarang
[edit]Name | Service / Unit | Rank | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Walter C. Monegan Jr. † | United States Marine Corps | Private First Class | 1954-04-12 | [14] |
Hugh M. Elwood | United States Marine Corps | Lieutenant general | ? | |
Jack T. Bishoff | United States Navy | Captain | ? | |
William Geftman | United States Marine Corps | Lieutenant Colonel | ? | |
Wilbur F. Simlik | United States Marine Corps | Major General | 1970-04-10 | |
Phan Hòa Hiệp | Army of the Republic of Vietnam | Colonel | 1971-01-29 |
Inheon
[edit]Name | Service / Unit | Rank | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ji Man-won | Republic of Korea Army | Captain | 1970-11-13 | |
Yoon Jang-ho | Republic of Korea Army | Staff Sergeant | 2007-03-01 |
See also
[edit]- Orders, decorations, and medals of South Korea
- "Official Database of Awards". Government of South Korea.
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Awards and Decorations Act (11690). March 23, 2013.(in English and Korean) Korea Legislation Research Institute. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
- ^ "Orders of Military Merit of the Republic of Korea 1948-196" (PDF). Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ "훈장과 포장" [Orders and Medals]. Decorations of the Republic of Korea (in Korean). Ministry of Interior and Safety. 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ National Archives of Korea. "이승만 대통령 유엔군최고사령관 맥아더 장군에게 태극무공훈장 수여" [President Syngman Rhee awarded the Taegeuk Order of Military Merit to General MacArthur, Supreme Commander of the UN Forces] (in Korean).
- ^ 姜在求少領(강재구소령)에 太極武功(태극무공)훈장추서
- ^ 太極武功勲章(태극무공훈장)수여
- ^ "Republic of South Korea Awards Four U.S. Veterans Its Nation's Highest Military Award: The Order of Military Merit, Taeguk - Post Eagle Newspaper".
- ^ "Republic of South Korea Awards Four U.S. Veterans Its Nation's Highest Military Award: The Order of Military Merit, Taeguk - Post Eagle Newspaper".
- ^ "Moon awards medals to two UN Forces veterans for war service". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ^ "Retired Navy Capt Royce Williams shares declassified heroic story". Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "워커 中將表彰(중장표창)" [Lieutenant General Walker Commendation] (in Korean). 20 December 1950.
- ^ "2023년 3월의 6‧25전쟁영웅 - 알베르토 루이즈 노보아 콜롬비아 육군 중령 2023년 3월의 6‧25전쟁영웅 - 알베르토 루이즈 노보아 콜롬비아 육군 중령" [Heroes of the Korean War in March 2023 - Lieutenant Colonel Alberto Luiz Novoa, Army of Colombia Korean War Heroes of March 2023 - Lieutenant Colonel Alberto Ruiz Novoa, Army of Colombia] (in Korean).
- ^ "야보로 중장에 훈장" [Medal for Lieutenant General Yarborough] (in Korean).
- ^ 動亂(동란)의 숨은 證言(증언) 異域(이역)서散華(산화)한 碧眼(벽안)의英雄(영웅)「모니간」1兵(병)
External links
[edit]- Korea's Order of Military Merit
- Images of the Order of Military Merit (in Korean with some English)