Order of Military Merit (South Korea)
The Order of Military Merit (Hangul: 무공훈장) is the primary military decoration awarded by the South Korean government.
| Order of Military Merit | |
|---|---|
Awarded by  South Korea | |
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
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
editOn 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
editThe 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.jpg)
Eulji
edit
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
editReferences
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)