Order of the National Flag

Order of the National Flag
Order of the National Flag, second class
Statistics
Established	12 October 1948
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of Kim Il-sung, Order of Kim Jong-il
Related	Hero of the Republic, Hero of Labour
Ribbons of the Order of the National Flag: first, second and third class

Order of the National Flag
Chosŏn'gŭl	국기훈장[1]
Hancha	國旗勳章
Revised Romanization	Chŏson Kukki Hunjang[2]

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.

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. 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 and Hosni Mubarak.

History

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]

Eligibility

It can be awarded to individuals and to organizations or workplaces for achievements in military service^[3] 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).^[4]

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.^[5] 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.^[6] Disabled and retired recipients receive an annual salary along the order.^[1]

Precedence

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]

Recipients

North Korean recipients

• Kim Il-sung (6 February 1951, first class;^[1] 1953, first class^[7])
• Han Sorya (26 April 1951, second class)^[8]
• Im Hwa (26 April 1951, second class)^[8]
• Cho Ki-chon (26 April 1951, second class)^[8]
• Ri Ki-yong (26 April 1951, second class)^[8]
• Yi T'aejun (26 April 1951, second class)^[8]
• Kim Chogyu (26 April 1951, third class)^[8]
• Pak Unggŏl (26 April 1951, third class)^[8]
• Shin Kosong (26 April 1951, third class)^[8]
• Jang Chol (August 1961, third class)^[9]
• Ri Tu-il (June 1968, first class)^[10]
• Kim Ryong-yong (January 1976, first class)^[11]
• Choe Sam-suk (1982, first class)^[12]
• Kim Jong-il (1982, first class)^[13]
• Jong Chang-ryol (June 1986, first class)^[14]
• Kim Su-jo (October 1989, first class)^[15]
• Paek Hak-rim (April 1997, first class)^[16]
• Ri Ul-sol (April 1997, first class)^[17]
• O Ik-je (September 1997, first class)^[18]
• Jon Pyong-ho (February 1998, first class)^[19]
• Ryu Mi-yong (January 1991, first class)^[20]
• Han Duk-su (first class ten times)^[21]
• Hyon Yong-chol (eight times first class, five times second class, and twice third class)^[22]
• Jo Myong-rok (first class)^[23]
• Kim Jung-rin (first class)^[24]
• Lee Kwon-mu (first class)^[25]
• Ri Jong-ok (first class)^[26]
• 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.^[27]
• Pyongyang University of Music and Dance (first class)^[28]

Foreign recipients

• Peng Dehuai (China, 1951 and 1953, first class)^[29]
• Nureddin al-Atassi (Syria, September 1969, first class)^[30]
• Samora Machel (Mozambique, March 1975, first class)^[31]
• Juvénal Habyarimana (Rwanda, 1978, first class)^[32]
• Hosni Mubarak (Egypt, 1983, first class)^[33]
• Sam Nujoma (Namibia, 1992)^[34]
• Fidel Castro (Cuba, 2006, first class)^[35]
• Józef Borowiec, former director of the National Center of Education in Płakowice, Poland^[36]
• Yakov Novichenko (USSR)^[37]
• Alejandro Cao de Benós de Les y Pérez (Spain)^[38]
• Ra Hun, Korean minority activist in Japan (first class, second class, and twice third class)^[39]
• Megawati Sukarnoputri (Indonesia, first class)^[40]

See also

• Orders and medals of North Korea

References

1. Weiser, Martin (8 January 2016). "Chests Full of Brass: A DPRK Political History in Orders, Medals, Prizes, and Titles". Sino-NK. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
2. Minnich, James M. (2005). The North Korean People's Army: Origins and Current Tactics. Naval Institute Press. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-59114-525-7.
3. Орден "Национального Флага 3 ст". Znakordena.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 10 October 2010.
4. "Order of the National Flag". Northkoreanmedals.com. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
5. North Korea Handbook 2002, p. 132.
6. "Korea (North)". Jeanpaulleblanc.com. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
7. Dziak, Waldemar J. (2001). Kim Ir Sen (in Polish). Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Wiedza Powszechna. p. 139. ISBN 83-214-1260-2.
8. Wit, Jerôme de (2015). Writing Under Wartime Conditions: North and South Korean Writers During the Korean War (1950–1953) (PDF) (Thesis). Leiden University. p. 44. OCLC 900144488. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
9. North Korea Handbook 2002, p. 793.
10. North Korea Handbook 2002, p. 887.
11. North Korea Handbook 2002, p. 850.
12. North Korea Handbook 2002, p. 768.
13. Buzo, Adrian (1999). The Guerilla Dynasty: Politics and Leadership in North Korea. London/New York: I.B.Tauris. p. 117. ISBN 978-1-86064-414-6.
14. North Korea Handbook 2002, p. 802.
15. North Korea Handbook 2002, p. 855.
16. North Korea Handbook 2002, p. 756.
17. North Korea Handbook 2002, p. 886.
18. North Korea Handbook 2002, p. 868.
19. "Jon Pyong Ho" (PDF). Nkleadershipwatch.files.wordpress.com. p. 1. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
20. North Korea Handbook 2002, p. 913.
21. "Chairman Han Duk Su of CHONGRYUN Passes Away". Co.jp. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
22. "Rozstrzelany z broni przeciwlotniczej za... drzemkę. Bo nie okazał szacunku dla Kim Dzong Una". gazeta.pl. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
23. "Senior DPRK official Jo Myong Rok passes away". Chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
24. "Kim Jung Rin Dies". Nkleadershipwatch.files.wordpress.com. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
25. Fehrenbach, T. R. (1 April 2014). This Kind of War: The Classic Military History of the Korean War. Open Road Media. p. 139. ISBN 978-1-4976-0375-2.
26. "Ri Jong Ok passes away". Wayback Machine. KCNA. 11 October 2012. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
27. "Szczyt bohaterstwa: narażać życie dla portretów Kim Ir Sena". Newsweek.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 5 August 2010.
28. "Pyongyang University of Music and Dance". Naenara. Archived from the original on 2014-07-16. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
29. Sandler, Stanley, ed. (January 1995). The Korean War: An Encyclopedia. New York/London: Taylor & Francis. p. 264. ISBN 978-0-8240-4445-9.
30. Gills 2005, p. 152.
31. Gills 2005, p. 164.
32. "Asia" (PDF). Dtic.mil. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
33. "Le Président de la République". Sis.gov.eg (in French). Retrieved 10 October 2010.
34. 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.
35. "Kim Jong-il gives Castro a going away present". Rjkoehler.com. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
36. "Śniły o polskim chlebie i smalcu". Gazetawroclawska.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 5 August 2010.
37. Pʻyŏnghwa Tʻongil Yŏnʾguso (Korea) (1986). Korea & World Affairs. Research Center for Peace and Unification. p. 874.
38. "About this webpage". Korea-dpr.com. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
39. "Obituary". Co.jp. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
40. "Indonesian President Megawati Visits DPRK; Meets Kim Jong Il for 1st Time in 37 Years". Co.jp. Retrieved 8 March 2011.

Works cited

• Gills, Barry (21 June 2005). Korea versus Korea: A Case of Contested Legitimacy. London/New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-76625-3.
• Yonhap News Agency (27 December 2002). North Korea Handbook. Seoul: M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 978-0-7656-3523-5.