Wonsu

Korean military rank

Wonsu
Marshal

Shoulder boards for the rank of Konghwaguk wonsu

Shoulder boards for the rank of Inmingun-wonsu

Country|  North Korea
South Korea
Service branch|  Korean People's Army Ground Force
Republic of Korea Army
Next higher rank| Taewonsu
Next lower rank| Chasu
Equivalent ranks| Konghwaguk Wonsu
Wonsu

Hangul|

Hanja|

Revised Romanization| Wonsu
McCune–Reischauer| Wŏnsu

Wonsu is the highest military rank in the armed forces of North Korea and South Korea.[1]

## Historical

[edit]

The title of Wonsu or its variations had been used as the title of high-ranking military commanders in Korean history since Goryeo Dynasty onward. For example, Gwon Yul, a famous general in 16th century who rose to the supreme command of Korean forces during Imjin War held the title of "Do-Wonsu", roughly translated as "high marshal".

## North Korea

[edit]

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Wonsu is a rank in the Korean People's Army of North Korea, equivalent to marshal in other armies. This rank is held by all Supreme Leaders of the DPRK.

While he was the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, Kim Il Sung became North Korea's first marshal during the Korean War by the decision of the Supreme People's Assembly, the unicameral parliament of North Korea, on February 4, 1953. Period photographic evidence demonstrates that the early marshal shoulder board rank insignia was the same as that of the current vice marshal shoulder boards (a large star overlain with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea coat-of-arms).

The rank of vice marshal (chasu) is unique to the North Korean ranking system. Vice marshal was first conferred in February 1953 on Choe Yong-gon. Sources suggest that the shoulder board rank insignia for marshal and vice marshal then became a single large star without the state coat-of-arms (for marshals) and the state coat-of-arms without a star (for vice marshals).[citation needed] By the time the next conferral of rank to vice marshal was awarded (1985), the shoulder board rank insignia for marshal and vice marshal had taken on their current design.

The next change in the DPRK marshal ranks took place in 1992 when the rank of dae wonsu or grand marshal (full title grand marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea) was created for Kim Il Sung. At this time the rank of marshal was divided into two ranks: the rank of marshal with the title "marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" (konghwaguk wonsu) was conferred upon Kim Il Sung's son Kim Jong Il, and the same rank but with the title "marshal of the Korean People's Army" was conferred upon O Jin-u. In 1995, two other military officers were conferred the rank of marshal with the title "marshals of the Korean People's Army", i.e. Choe Kwang and Ri Ul-sol. Insignia of rank of the two grades of marshal are different (with the insignia for marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea being more like that of grand marshal—the grand marshal insignia has a larger wreath encompassing the marshal's star—but is smaller as it is below the star itself).

Also, in 1992 eight other generals were promoted to vice marshal at which time in North Korea there was one grand marshal, one marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, one marshal of the Korean People's Army and eight vice marshals.

The rank (as marshal of the DPRK) was bestowed to Kim Jong Un in 2012.

On April 15, 2016, Kim Yong-chun and Hyon Chol-hae were promoted to the rank of Marshal of the Korean People's Army, the first promotions of active duty officers after 21 years.

### Insignia

[edit]

See also: Military ranks of North Korea

Rank group | General/flag officers

|

Native name  | 대원수/大元帥
Tae wonsu | 공화국원수/共和國元帥
Konghwaguk wonsu | 인민군원수/人民軍元帥
Inmingun-wonsu
Literal translation  | Grand marshal  | Marshal of the Republic  | Marshal of the Army
Insignia[2] |  |  |

### List of Marshals of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

[edit]

Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
조선민주주의인민공화국 원수

Marshal  | Date of promotion  | Notes
| Kim Il Sung
김일성
1912–1994  | 7 February 1953  | Promoted to Grand Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on 13 April 1992.
| Kim Jong Il
김정일
1941–2011  | 20 April 1992  | Posthumously promoted to Grand Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on 14 February 2012.
| Kim Jong Un
김정은
born 1984  | 18 July 2012  | Promoted to Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in July 2012.[3]

### List of Marshals of the Korean People's Army

[edit]

Marshal of the Korean People's Army
조선인민군 원수

Marshal  | Date of promotion  | Notes
O Jin-u
오진우
1917–1995  | 20 April 1992  |
Choe Kwang

1918–1997  | 8 October 1995  |
Ri Ul-sol
리을설
1921–2015  | 8 October 1995  |
Kim Yong-chun
김영춘
1936–2018  | 14 April 2016  |
Hyon Chol-hae
현철해
1934–2022  | 14 April 2016  |
Ri Pyong-chol
리병철
born 1948  | 5 October 2020  |
Pak Jong-chon
박정천  | 5 October 2020  | Demoted to Vice Marshal of the Korean People's Army in June 2021, and was promoted back at an undisclosed time before September 2023.[4]

## South Korea

[edit]

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|

Wonsu

Insignia

Country|  South Korea
Service branch|  Army
Navy
Air Force
Rank group| General officer
Next lower rank| Daejang

Wonsu (Korean: 원수), known in English as "General of the Army of the Republic of Korea" or "Admiral of the Fleet of the Republic of Korea", is the highest military rank of the Republic of Korea (ROK) armed forces and is the combined equivalent of a field marshal, fleet admiral and marshal of the Air Force in other nations. The rank is senior to that of Daejang. As of 29 August 2024, Wonsu only exists on paper, and has never been held by an officer of the South Korean Armed Forces. According to the Armed Forces Personnel Act of National Defense Law of the Republic of Korea, the wonsu is appointed from the daejang who has distinguished achievements.

The rank insignia for wonsu is heavily influenced by United States military insignia of General of the Army and General of the Air Force for Army and Air Force.[5] While the rank insignia for the Navy remains the same the sleeve insignia for a naval officer promoted to the rank is the same sleeve insignia of Fleet admiral used in the United States Navy.

## Homophone

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Coincidentally, wonsu is also a word meaning "mortal enemy" (怨讐). The two words have different etymologies and hanja, but in South Korea are homophonous and so are written identically in hangul. In North Korea, the government has addressed the issue by changing the word for "enemy" to "wonssu" (원쑤).[6]

## See also

[edit]

* North Korea portal
* South Korea portal

* Yuan Shuai, the Chinese equivalent, written identically in Hanja/Hanzi
* Republic of Korea Armed Forces
* Korean People's Army
* Six-star rank

## References

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### Citations

[edit]

1. ^ Chung-in Moon, Understanding regime dynamics in North Korea International Political Science Association. World Congress – 1998 Page 105 "Kim Jong Il.. ... which places him at the top of the party hierarchy, he holds the titles of the chairman of the National Defense Commission and the supreme commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA). He is, moreover, one of the two marshals (wonsu) in the DPRK, the other being Li Ul Sol who heads the KPA unit that guards top officials (howi ch'ongguk)."
2. ^ Tertitskiy, Fyodor (14 March 2017). "North Korea's baffling personalized rank insignia, explained". NK News. Korea Risk Group. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
3. ^ "North Korea's Kim Jong-un named 'marshal'". BBC News. 18 July 2012. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
4. ^ "Kim Jong Un visits General Staff Post". dprktoday. 31 August 2023.
5. ^ Katz, Rodney P. (1992). "National Security". In Savada, Andrea M.; Shaw, William (eds.). South Korea: a country study. Area Handbook (4th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 291\. LCCN 91039109. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
6. ^ Sohn 2006, p. 38

### Sources

[edit]

* Sohn, Ho-min (2006), Korean language in culture and society, University of Hawaii Press, ISBN 978-0-8248-2694-9

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