Order of Military Merit (Korea)
Encyclopedia
The Order of Military Merit (Hangul
: 무공훈장, Hanja
: 武功勳章) is the primary military decoration awarded by the government of Republic of Korea
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Notable recipients
For direct support of the 10th Korean "Meng Ho" Division in the central coast region of Viet Nam in 1966.
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 무공훈장, Hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
: 武功勳章) is the primary military decoration awarded by the government of Republic of Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
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Classes of the Order
The order is divided into five classes:
1st class: 太極, Taegeug - (Taegeug Cordon or Grand Cordon)- 2nd class: 乙支, EuljiEulji MundeokEulji Mundeok was a noted military leader of early 7th century Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Often numbered among the greatest heroes in Korean military history, he defended Goguryeo against the Sui Chinese...
- (Field Marshal Lord Eulji Cordon) - 3rd class: 忠武, ChungmuYi Sun-sinYi Sun-shin was a Korean naval commander, famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty, and is well-respected for his exemplary conduct on and off the battlefield not only by Koreans, but by Japanese Admirals as well...
- (Lord High Admiral Lord Chungmu Cordon) - 4th class: 花郞, HwarangHwarangThe Hwarang, or "Flower Boys"., were an elite group of male youth in Silla, an ancient Korean kingdom that lasted until the 10th century. There were educational institutions as well as social clubs where members gathered for all aspects of study, originally for arts and culture steeped mainly in...
- (Youth Military Corps Cordon) - 5th class: 仁憲, Inheon - (Field Marshal Lord Inheon Cordon)
1. Taegeug Cordon
Taegeug Cordon of the Order of Military Merit is the highest decoration for military bravery and valour awarded by the government of South Korea. Members of the armed forces of South Korea, as well of its allies, are eligible for the award.Notable recipients
- Chappy Hakim - Air Chief Marshall, Indonesian Air Force
- Young-Oak KimYoung-Oak KimColonel Young-Oak Kim , a highly-decorated U.S. Army combat veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He was a member of the U.S. 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and a combat leader in Italy and France during World War II...
- Colonel, United States Army - Homer LitzenbergHomer LitzenbergHomer Laurence Litzenberg was a decorated Lieutenant General in the United States Marine Corps, serving in Haiti, World War II, and the Korean War. His final rank was awarded at his retirement for valor in battle. He retired from the post of Inspector General of the Marine Corps on May 31, 1959,...
- General, USMC - William WestmorelandWilliam WestmorelandWilliam Childs Westmoreland was a United States Army General, who commanded US military operations in the Vietnam War at its peak , during the Tet Offensive. He adopted a strategy of attrition against the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam and the North Vietnamese Army. He later served as...
- General, United States Army - Frank Fort Everest - General, United States Air Force
- Horace RobertsonHorace RobertsonLieutenant General Sir Horace Clement Hugh Robertson KBE, DSO was a senior officer in the Australian Army who served in the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War...
- Lieutenant General, Australian Army
2. Eulji Cordon
Notable recipients- Pham Van Dong (ARVN general)Pham Van Dong (ARVN general)Phạm Văn Đồng was a Vietnamese general known for his bravery. In 1965, as military governor of Saigon, he had successfully repressed Buddhist mobs instigated by Thích Trí Quang of the Ấn Quang group and Thích Tâm Châu of Việt Nam Quốc Tự. With his commanding skills and knowledge, Đồng was regarded...
- General, Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam - Chesty PullerChesty PullerLieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller was an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Puller is the most decorated U.S...
- General, USMC
3. Chungmu Cordon
Notable recipients- Han Moo-hyupHan Moo-hyupHan Moo-hyup is a retired South Korean soldier, businessman, and government official. He was major general of the ROK Army, CEO of both Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance and Regent Fire Insurance, and chairman of Kumoh Foundation. Han currently serves as honorary chairman of Korean Esperanto-Associo...
- Major General, Republic of Korea ArmyRepublic of Korea ArmyThe Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010... - Alfredo M. SantosAlfredo M. SantosGeneral Alfredo M. Santos was Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 1962 to 1965, making him the first four-star general of the Philippines' armed forces....
- General, Armed Forces of the PhilippinesArmed Forces of the PhilippinesThe Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force... - Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr. was an American naval officer and the youngest man to serve as Chief of Naval Operations. As an admiral and later the 19th Chief of Naval Operations, Zumwalt played a major role in U.S. military history, especially during the Vietnam War. A highly-decorated war veteran,...
- Admiral, United States NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
4. Hwarang Cordon
Notable recipients- Major Steven Vorhees Boylan (later Col. US Army retired)
For direct support of the 10th Korean "Meng Ho" Division in the central coast region of Viet Nam in 1966.
5. Inheon Cordon
Notable recipients- Yoon Jang-hoYoon Jang-hoYoon Jang-ho was a sergeant serving as an English translator in Afghanistan as a member of the Dasan Engineering Unit, which is part of the South Korean military. He was killed during a suicide bomb attack on a military base in Bagram on February 27, 2007...
- (Ha-sa) Staff Sergeant, Republic of Korea Armed ForcesMilitary of South KoreaThe Republic of Korea Armed Forces or ROK Armed Forces, is the armed forces of the Republic of Korea...
External links
- MOPAS Order of Military Merit page (Ministry of Public Administration and Security)
- Historical changes to the Eulji/Ulchi medal design
- Republic of Korea's Orders of Merit