Order of Diplomatic Service Merit

Order of Diplomatic Service Merit 수교훈장
Award of Republic of Korea
Type	Order of merit
Status	Currently awarded
President	Park Geun-hye
Grades (w/ post-nominals)	Grand Gwanghwa Medal Gwanghwa Medal Heung-In Medal Sungrye Medal Chang-Eui Medal Sugjeong Medal
Established	1967
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of National Security Merit
Next (lower)	Order of Industrial Service Merit
Related	Diplomatic Service Medal

The Order of Diplomatic Service Merit (Hangul: 수교훈장, Hanja: 修交勳章) is an order of merit of South Korea (the Republic of Korea). It is presented to foreign officials for significant contributions in strengthening friendly relations with the Republic of Korea, often to foreign politicians or ambassadors.^[1] It is a relatively rare honour, being usually awarded to a handful of people every year, and is one of the highest civilian awards of the Republic of Korea.^[2]

Grades

The Order of Diplomatic Service Merit is divided into 6 grades of 5 classes.^[3] The first class has two grades, the top most is reserved for top diplomats.^[4] The grades are as follows:

• Grand Gwanghwa Medal, 1st Class
• Gwanghwa Medal, 1st Class
• Heung-In Medal, 2nd Class
• Sungrye Medal, 3rd Class
• Chang-Eui Medal, 4th Class
• Sugjeong Medal, 5th Class

Ribbons of the grades
Grand Gwanghwa Medal	Gwanghwa Medal	Heung-In Medal	Sungrye Medal	Chang-Eui Medal	Sugjeong Medal

Recipients

Recipients include

• David Manker Abshire, former Ambassador to NATO, United States
• Lee Khoon Choy, MP and Ambassador, Singapore
• Barry Devolin, MP, Canada
• Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark
• Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Prime Minister, Pakistan
• Henry Hyde, Congressman, United States
• Joe Lieberman, Senator, United States
• Pin Malakul, Minister of Education and Culture, Thailand
• Kamisese Mara, Prime Minister, Fiji
• Alois Mock, Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister, Austria
• Anand Panyarachun, Thailand
• Bernhard Paus, humanitarian, Norway
• Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Prime Minister, Denmark
• Ryoichi Sasakawa, MP and industrialist, Japan
• Edward Seaga, Prime Minister, Jamaica
• Sirindhorn, Princess of Thailand
• Venu Srinivasan, industrialist, India
• Sergei Stepashin, Prime Minister, Russia
• James Van Fleet, U.S. Army General
• Gyanendra, then Prince of Nepal
• Mohamed Bolkiah, Prince of Brunei
• Tengku Intan Zaharah, Queen consort of Malaysia
• Syed Pervez Hussain, former Ambassador to South Korea, Pakistan

References

1. http://can-ottawa.mofat.go.kr/webmodule/htsboard/template/read/korboardread.jsp?typeID=16&boardid=8192&seqno=691449
2. http://www.gggi.org/gggi-chair-rasmussen-receives-diplomatic-medal-from-outgoing-korean-president-lee/
3. 정부포상안내 (in Korean). Ministry of Security and Public Administration. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
4. Robertson, Megan C. "Republic of Korea: Order of Diplomatic Service Merit". Medals of the World. Retrieved 6 September 2014.

External links

• "Images of the grades of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit". Ministry of Security and Public Administration. Retrieved 6 September 2014.