Individuals and organizations, for political, cultural or economic work, recipients of the Hero of the Republic, Hero of Labour, Order of Freedom and Independence and Order of Soldier's Honor in the appropriate class and various "People's" honorary titles
Status
Active
Established
12 October 1948 (1948-10-12)
Total
1st Class 100,000+ 2nd Class 200,000+ 3rd Class 1,100,000+
The Order of the National Flag (Korean: 국기훈장; MR: Kukki Hunjang) is the second highest order of North Korea, after the Order of Kim Il Sung and the Order of Kim Jong Il.
It is the oldest order in the country, having been established in 1948, just six weeks after the North Korean state was founded.
The order is awarded to both individuals and organizations, for political, cultural or economic work. The order, which comes in three classes, is automatically conferred upon recipients of the titles of Hero of the Republic and Hero of Labour and various "People's" honorary titles [zh]. The Order of the National Flag is also awarded to recipients of the Order of Freedom and Independence and Order of Soldier's Honor in the appropriate class. Recipients are entitled to benefits such as a salary or free public transport.
Domestic recipients include both leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and other notables. Foreign recipients include politicians such as Fidel Castro, Hosni Mubarak and Siad Barre.
History
[edit]
When the order was instituted on 12 October 1948,[2] six weeks after the foundation of the North Korean state, it was the first and highest order of the country.[1] It is named after the flag of North Korea.[3]
Eligibility
[edit]
It can be awarded to individuals and to organizations or workplaces for achievements in military service[4] or political, cultural, or economic work. It is also awarded to officers of the Workers' Party of Korea for longstanding service (25 years for the first class, 20 years for the second class and 15 years for the third class).[5]
Those who are awarded the title of Hero of the Republic or Hero of Labour are always awarded with the Order of the National Flag as well, as are laureates of "People's" honorary titles [zh].[6] Recipients of the Order of Freedom and Independence receive the Order of the National Flag of the same class, but Order of Soldier's Honor recipients receive the Order of the National Flag in a lower class.[1] Recipients have the right to use public transport free of charge.[7] Disabled and retired recipients receive an annual salary along with the order.[1]
Precedence
[edit]
The Order of the National Flag is the second highest order of North Korea, after the Order of Kim Il Sung and the Order of Kim Jong Il, which share the first place. The order has three classes.[1]
1st class
2nd class
3rd class
Recipients
[edit]
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2015)
North Korean recipients
[edit]
Kim Il Sung (6 February 1951, first class;[1] 28 July 1953, first class[8][9])
Kang Ki-sop (two times first class, three times second class, and three times third class)[31]
At the beginning of 2010, North Korean media announced that the Order of the National Flag, first class, was posthumously awarded to the captain and first mechanics of the freighter that sunk in November 2009 by the Chinese city of Dalian. The crew attempted to salvage the ship's portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.[32]
Pyongyang University of Music and Dance (first class)[33]
5th generator turbine of Sup'ung Dam (first class)[36]
Hwasong-17's transporter erector launcher number 321 (first class, awarded in November 2022)[37][38][39]
Foreign recipients
[edit]
Peng Dehuai (China, 1951 and 1953, first class)[40]
Antonín Zápotocký (Czechoslovakia, 1955, first class)[41]
Alois Barvínek (Czechoslovakia, 1955, third class), Czechoslovak composer[42]
Nureddin al-Atassi (Syria, September 1969, first class)[43]
Siad Barre (Democratic Republic of Somalia, 1972, first class)[44]
Gustáv Husák (Czechoslovakia, first class, awarded twice 1973 and 1988)[41]
Gnassingbé Eyadéma (Togo, September 1974, first class)[45]
Didier Ratsiraka (Madagascar, 1978, first class)[46]
Samora Machel (Mozambique, March 1975, first class)[47]
Ferdinand Kozovski (Bulgarian Lieutenant general of Bulgarian army, deputy komander of Bulgarian army 1944-1945 in Second World War, Chairman of National assembly of Bulgaria 1958-1965)[citation needed]
Leonid Brezhnev (Soviet Union, 18 December 1976, first class)[48]
Juvénal Habyarimana (Rwanda, 1978, first class)[49]
Jean-Bédel Bokassa (Central African Empire, 1978, first class)[50]
^박정애(朴正愛) [Pak Chong-ae]. North Korean Human Geography (in Korean). Seoul: Institute for Peace Affairs. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
^"Ri Jong Ok passes away". Wayback Machine. Korean Central News Agency. 11 October 2012. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
^Korea-dpr.com. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
^British Broadcasting Corporation. Monitoring Service (September 1974). "Togolese President's visit to N Korea: co-operation agreement (FE/4701/A5/12)". Summary of World Broadcasts: Far East. Monitoring Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation.
^Fischer, Paul (2016). A Kim Jong-Il Production: Kidnap, Torture, Murder... Making Movies North Korean-Style. London: Penguin Books. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-241-97000-3.
^Tonchi, Victor L.; Lindeke, William A.; Grotpeter, John J. (31 August 2012). Historical Dictionary of Namibia (Second ed.). Plymouth: Scarecrow Press. p. 306. ISBN 978-0-8108-7990-4.
Thomas, Dean (2014). "Flags and Emblems of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea". Raven: A Journal of Vexillology. 21: 95–115. doi:10.5840/raven2014215. ISSN 1071-0043.
Yonhap News Agency (27 December 2002). North Korea Handbook. Seoul: M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 978-0-7656-3523-5.
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