Hugh Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 (edited) These are my Koreans. Most of the new ones were bought direct from the factory. It was up on the 5th floor or so of a building in downtown Seoul. Also got a nice chart of the current Orders. Hugh Edited August 21, 2008 by Ed_Haynes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Thanks. (Notice a couple of Manchuguo medals slipped in too.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulsterman Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 very nice-how big are those boxes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 very nice-how big are those boxes?Here's a picture of them with the lids on. Campaign medal boxes are 130 mm x 63 mm x 15 mm (5-1/4 x 2-1/2 x 1/2" for the Brits / Americans). Very lightweight plastic for the campaign medals - cheapo. However, the cases for the decorations are very nicely finished velveteen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 (edited) Order of Diplomatic Service MeritInstituted: 25 July 1963.Awarded: For meritorious service to the extension of national prestige overseas and to the promotion of friendship with other nations, in 6 grades.Here is the Badge of Grand Gwanghwa Medal (1st Class): Edited August 3, 2008 by Ed_Haynes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 And here is the Star of the Grand Gwanghwa Medal (1st Class): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted August 3, 2008 Author Share Posted August 3, 2008 Ah, Megan, you know how to rattle a cage! KOREA, REPUBLIC OF ?Order of Military Merit, Wharang (Korean War era), EFLiverpool Medal, 12/04 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted August 3, 2008 Author Share Posted August 3, 2008 KOREA, REPUBLIC OF ? Order of National Security Merit, Commander (Bo-Kook Hun-Jang, Cheonsu-Jang), Neck badge, ribbon and lapel badge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 Rattling cages? More information has come to light - the pictures above are the 2nd Type of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit, which was revised in 1967. (And again in 1973, but they just added an extra grade rather than change the design yet again!).Here is the Chang-Eui Medal (or 5th Class) post-1967: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 Now for the first type of the order, awarded 1963-67.Here is the 1st Class star: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 This is the 5th Class badge of the 1st design, 1963-67. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted August 3, 2008 Author Share Posted August 3, 2008 Perhaps Megan or someone else can tell us if this (the current issue) was also revised in 1967?KOREA, REPUBLIC OF ? Order of National Security Merit, Officer (Bo-Kook Hun-Jang Samil-Jang), Breast badge in gold, Mint in case of issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted August 3, 2008 Author Share Posted August 3, 2008 KOREA, REPUBLIC OF ? Order of National Security Merit, Knight (Bo-Kook Po-Jang, Gwangbog), Breast badge in silver, Mint in case of issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted August 3, 2008 Author Share Posted August 3, 2008 KOREA, REPUBLIC OF ? Presidential Commendation Badge, Mint in case of issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 FASCINATING!!!!Is it possibly possible that South Korean stuff may be more confusing than the Taiwanese awards? Could that be? Chinese imperial is starting to seem straightforward by comparison.Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted August 3, 2008 Author Share Posted August 3, 2008 It's amazing to see how different the color on this new ribbon is from the original 50 year old ribbon. KOREA, REPUBLIC OF ? Korean War Campaign Medal, Mint in case of issueMedal Factory, Seoul, 1/05 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted August 3, 2008 Author Share Posted August 3, 2008 From here on, there is some doubt as to the official names of the medals. These are the descriptions of the medals as given to me over a few bottles of Jinro soju just after we'd bought them at the factory. I think this is basically the medal for the cleanup of operations against remnant North Korean / Chinese "dead-enders". (Remember that phrase?) KOREA, REPUBLIC OF ? Guerrilla Service Medal (1954-55) Jiri Mountains (11th Inf. Div.), Mint in case of issueMedal Factory, Seoul, 1/05 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted August 3, 2008 Author Share Posted August 3, 2008 This one is interesting - the severe wounds medal is worn as a Steckkreuz (pin), similar to the German 1st class Iron Cross / Kriegsverdienstkreuz. As you'll see in the next posting, the non-severe wounds is worn as a normal medal. KOREA, REPUBLIC OF ? Wound Medal (Severe Wounds) breast badge) , Mint in case of issueMedal Factory, Seoul, 1/05 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted August 3, 2008 Author Share Posted August 3, 2008 The color on this and the previous post got out of hand. The star is silver-color. KOREA, REPUBLIC OF ? Botong Sanji Kijang (Non-severe wounds w/ ribbon), Mint in case of issueMedal Factory, Seoul, 1/05 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted August 3, 2008 Author Share Posted August 3, 2008 KOREA, REPUBLIC OF ? Red Cross Medal 1956, Mint in case of issueMedal Factory, Seoul, 1/05 More later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted August 3, 2008 Author Share Posted August 3, 2008 FASCINATING!!!!Is it possibly possible that South Korean stuff may be more confusing than the Taiwanese awards? Could that be? Chinese imperial is starting to seem straightforward by comparison.Thanks! No, Ed, I don't think so. Wait until I start posting the ROC stuff. But at least they have a website. The only reference I have for Korea is a chart which doesn't include the campaign medals. And because of the changes (1967?), there are huge differences between old and new orders and decorations. I haven't even begun to look at the process for posting all this on OMSA. I guess I'll continue here for a while, and see if I have the energy for OMSA later. Anyone who wants to use these posts to transfer it to OMSA is welcome to do so. Best,Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 Thanks for all this, Hugh. Somebody, someday (hint-hint) needs to do something by way of reference, however premininary. See how long it has taken us to get something on "North Korea" and they are "the enemy" (to some of us), but we have NOTHING on "South Korea"!!!Why not work it up here and then, maybe, OMSA later on.What they have is pretty thin: http://www.omsa.org/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=552 (for a number of reasons, I don't do much over there anymore ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megan Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Well, Hugh, it appears that virtually ALL South Korean orders exist in THREE types - 1950-67, 1967-73 and 1973 to the present day.The 1967-73 versions are particularly hard to get hold of, but all of them are quite rare as it is illegal to sell what the government gives you.Given the contents of my mailbox this morning, the relevant section of my website is going to grow fairly rapidly (copies to here & OMSA of course!).More anon.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted August 4, 2008 Author Share Posted August 4, 2008 KOREA, REPUBLIC OF ? Recovery from Worst Year Medal 1981 (Commemorates recovery efforts after assassination of Pres. Park Chung Hee and revolt in Kwangju Province), Mint in case of issueMedal Factory, Seoul, 1/05 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Recovery from Worst Year MedalLove the name!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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