WHY DOES THE NORTH KOREAN ARMY RECEIVE SO MANY AWARDS?
Have you ever wondered why the DPRK military has such a large number of different medals and decorations on its chest? After all, this country has not been at war with anyone for many years. In its history, there has only been the Korean War (1950-1953) and military assistance to friendly countries. Why are there so many awards?
First of all, I will say that some authors attach photos in which North Korean officers, due to lack of space on their jackets, pin medals to their trousers.
However, there are actually a lot of awards. The explanation here is simple. North Korea is a small country that has resisted the influence of Western powers for many years. Therefore, the military plays a huge role here.
They control every aspect of life in North Korean society, from military service to art and agriculture. Moreover, as I wrote above, the DPRK does not fight anyone. So how to highlight and motivate the best military officers and leaders in peacetime? so that discipline in the army is maintained?
That is why they award prizes to outstanding people. They can issue orders or medals for successful harvests, hard work in mines or during construction, catching a lot of fish, as well as simply following the ideas of “Great Leader, Comrade Kim Il Sung” (founder of the DPRK).
Among the awards for decorating the officer’s coat, one can note such orders as Hero of the Republic, Order of Kim Il Sung, Order of Kim Jong Il, as well as the Order of the National Flag 3 degrees (note – the full holder of this order is recognized as a Hero of the Republic). There is also the Order of Honor for Military Service 3rd degree, Order of Freedom and Independence 2nd degree.
All these awards are given for outstanding achievements in the military, scientific, economic and socialist ideological education fields. The title of Hero of the Republic is awarded not only to the North Korean army, but also to foreign citizens – friends of the DPRK.
Thus, the Heroes of North Korea are Fidel Castro, Josip Broz Tito, Muammar Gaddafi and President of Bangladesh Ziaur Rahman.
There are also simpler awards. The Soviet equivalent of the Red Star is the 2nd Class Order of Honor of the Soldier, which was originally awarded to North Korean soldiers and guerrillas during the Korean War (1950-1953). About 130,000 people – Koreans and Chinese – were awarded the medal.
Of course, there are also commemorative awards. These are commemorative orders to honor the anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as well as the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War. There is the March 5 Order, which was created to commemorate the land reform of March 5, 1946, as well as the order to celebrate 30 years of agricultural success under Kim Il Sung’s reforms.
There is even a 2nd Class Order of Honor of Fisheries, awarded to those who have made great contributions to the fishing industry.
In addition, it must be said that tradition is very important in North Korea. So the son or grandson of an outstanding father has the right to wear the awards of his ancestors, so that the children, when they see that they are worthy successors of the family. As they often say now, “they follow their grandfathers”.
That is why the officers of the Korean People’s Army (PRC) have such a huge number of awards. The use of the order bar here is not a common practice. Every order and medal must be fully considered by society, so that every citizen, when meeting the person holding the order, will be proud and respect that person.
