Wikipedia

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
TypeOrder of merit
Awarded forOutstanding 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.
StatusActive
Grades
  • Order of Military Merit (무공훈장) ' Taegeuk
  • Order of Military Merit (무공훈장) ' Eulji
  • Order of Military Merit (무공훈장) ' Chungmu
  • Order of Military Merit (무공훈장) ' Hwarang
  • Order of Military Merit (무공훈장) ' Inheon
Gold and Silver stars
Former grades
  • First Class Order of Military Merit,
  • Second Class Order of Military Merit,
  • Third Class Order of Military Merit,
  • Fourth Class Order of Military Merit
Precedence
Next (higher)Grand Order of Mugunghwa
Related


Korean name
Hangul
무공훈장
Hanja
武功勳章
Revised RomanizationMugong Hunjang
McCune–ReischauerMugong 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

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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

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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

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※ 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

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Document of award of the Taegeuk Cordon to the Unknown Dead of Greece for the Greek participation in the Korean War
Name Service / Unit Rank Date Notes
Douglas MacArthur United States Army General of the Army 1950-09-29 [4]
Paik Sun-yup Republic of Korea Army Major General 1951-07-26
General 1953-04-05
Kim Hong-il Republic of Korea Army Lieutenant General 1951-07-26
Sohn Won-yil Republic of Korea Navy Admiral 1951-10-30
1953-04-05
Horace Robertson Australian Army Lieutenant General 1951-11-07
James Van Fleet United States Army Lieutenant General 1951-11-27
Matthew Ridgway United States Army Lieutenant General 1952-05-09
Raoul Magrin-Vernerey French Army Lieutenant General
(acting Lieutenant colonel) 		1952-11-04
Kim Jong-oh Republic of Korea Army Major General 1952-12-26
Lee Hyung-geun Republic of Korea Army Lieutenant General 1952-12-30
1953-05-18
Im Chung-sik Republic of Korea Army Brigadier General 1953-05-20
Song Yo-chan Republic of Korea Army Major General 1953-06-05
William F. Dean United States Army Major General 1953-09-04
Mark W. Clark United States Army General 1953-09-07
Kim Man-sool [ko] Republic of Korea Army Second Lieutenant 1954-07-06
Homer Litzenberg United States Marine Corps Major General 1957-10-23
Frank F. Everest United States Air Force General ?
Cornelius E. Ryan United States Army Major General ?
Kang Jae-gu Republic of Korea Army Captain 1966-05-12 [5]
William Westmoreland United States Army General 1966-09-06 [6]
Chae Myung-shin Republic of Korea Army Lieutenant General 1967-05-20
Charles Smith United States Army Brigadier General 1975-07-04
Young-Oak Kim United States Army Colonel 2006-02-03
Edward Rowny United States Army Lieutenant General 2014-07-27 [7]
William Speakman British Army Sergeant 2015-07-27 [8]
Thomas J. Hudner Jr. United States Navy Captain 2015-07-27
Hector A. Cafferata Jr. United States Marine Corps Private First Class 2015-07-27
Maximo Young Philippine Army,
PEFTOK 		Major 2016-07-27
Conrado Yap † Philippine Army,
PEFTOK 		Captain 2018-07-27
Emil Kapaun † United States Army Captain 2021-07-27 [9]
Ralph Puckett Jr. United States Army Colonel 2023-04-25
Royce Williams United States Navy Captain 2023-04-25 [10]
Baldomero López † United States Marine Corps First lieutenant 2023-04-25

Eulji

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Col. Edwin A. Doss' Eulji Medal with Silver Star (은성 을지무공혼장), 1952–63 design
Name Service / Unit Rank Date Notes
Walton Walker United States Army Lieutenant General 1950-12-19 [11]
General 1953-01-03
Edward Almond United States Army Major General 1950-12-25
Lieutenant General 1953-01-03
Kim Suk-won Republic of Korea Army Brigadier General 1950-12-30
Oliver P. Smith United States Marine Corps Major General 1951-04-26
1953-01-03
Dean Hess United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel 1951-05-29
Chae Byong-duk † Republic of Korea Army Lieutenant General 1952-05-20
Alberto Ruiz Novoa National Army of Colombia Lieutenant Colonel 1953-06-24 [12]
Edwin A. Doss United States Air Force Colonel 1954-01-29
Kim Shin Republic of Korea Air Force Brigadier General 1954-10-01
William Westmoreland United States Army Brigadier General 1954-11-05
Praphas Charusathien Royal Thai Army Major General 1955
William Hamilton Shaw † United States Navy Captain 1956-09-22[c]
Homer Litzenberg United States Marine Corps Major General 1957-11-19
Thomas H. Hewlett United States Army Medical Corps Colonel 1961-07-31
Cornelius E. Ryan United States Army Major General ?
Chesty Puller United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General ?
William P. Yarborough United States Army Lieutenant General 1969-07-24 [13]
Charles Hercules Green † Australian Army Lieutenant Colonel 2019-07-27

Chungmu

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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

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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 [vi] Army of the Republic of Vietnam Colonel 1971-01-29

Inheon

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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

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  • Orders, decorations, and medals of South Korea
  • "Official Database of Awards". Government of South Korea.

Notes

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  1. ^ Sometimes spelt 'Taeguk'
  2. ^ Sometimes spelt 'Ulchi'
  3. ^ 1956-09-22 on certificate document, 1956-09-21 on database

References

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  1. ^ Awards and Decorations Act (11690). March 23, 2013.(in English and Korean) Korea Legislation Research Institute. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  2. ^ "Orders of Military Merit of the Republic of Korea 1948-196" (PDF). Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  3. ^ "훈장과 포장" [Orders and Medals]. Decorations of the Republic of Korea (in Korean). Ministry of Interior and Safety. 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  4. ^ 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).
  5. ^ 姜在求少領(강재구소령)에 太極武功(태극무공)훈장추서
  6. ^ 太極武功勲章(태극무공훈장)수여
  7. ^ "Republic of South Korea Awards Four U.S. Veterans Its Nation's Highest Military Award: The Order of Military Merit, Taeguk - Post Eagle Newspaper".
  8. ^ "Republic of South Korea Awards Four U.S. Veterans Its Nation's Highest Military Award: The Order of Military Merit, Taeguk - Post Eagle Newspaper".
  9. ^ "Moon awards medals to two UN Forces veterans for war service". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  10. ^ "Retired Navy Capt Royce Williams shares declassified heroic story". Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  11. ^ "워커 中將表彰(중장표창)" [Lieutenant General Walker Commendation] (in Korean). 20 December 1950.
  12. ^ "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).
  13. ^ "야보로 중장에 훈장" [Medal for Lieutenant General Yarborough] (in Korean).
  14. ^ 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)
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