JAN. 1971 SERIES
Korea had universal conscription of males 18–30 years old. After completing Military Service, men were required to enter reserve status in the Homeland Reserve Forces until age 35. The importance of the Reserve Forces in maintaining Korea as a strong military force was enormous. Korean males living abroad, who wished to keep their Korean citizenship are required to fulfill their military obligation. On Jan. 14, 1971, the government issued Decorations Law Enforcement Decree #5480 and established a Reserve Forces Merit Medal 예비군포장 (豫備軍褒章). The precedence for the Reserve Forces Merit Medal was placed below the National Security Merit Medal. The decree has a rough drawing of the Reserve Forces Merit Medal and some dimensional information. It states that the ribbon is 36 × 40 mm in size, and the colors are orange 등색 (reddish yellow) with red 적색 stripes, which are the same colors as the National Security Merit Medal. There is no dimensional information on the pattern of the stripes, but examples of the medal from that time period show five red stripes, whereas the National Security Merit Medal has three red stripes. All the other merit medals remained the same as the previous 1970 legislation.
JUNE 1971 SERIES
Six months later, on June 30, the Korean Government issued Decorations Law Enforcement Decree #5688. It reaffirmed the existing 8 Merit Medals, including the Reserve Forces Merit Medal. The precedence for the Reserve Forces Merit Medal was changed. It now had precedence over the National Security Merit Medal, where it remained until Jan. 16, 2013.1 The new legislation changed the ribbon design for all the existing Merit Medals. The ribbons are still 36 × 40 mm, but they now have a single stripe down the center which is described as 2.5 mm wide, with the sides evenly divided into 16.75 mm widths.
The ribbon colors are:
- The National Foundation Merit Medal 건국포장 (建國褒章) ribbon is red 적색 with a white 백색 stripe
- The Civil Merit Medal 국민포장 (國民褒章) ribbon is yellow 황색 with a green 록색 stripe
- The Military Merit Medal 무공포장 (武功褒章) ribbon is red 적색 with a yellow 황색 stripe
- The Service Merit Medal 근정포장 (勤政褒章) ribbon is yellow 황색 with a red 적색 stripe
- The National Security Merit Medal 보국포장 (保國褒章) ribbon is white 백색 with a red 적색 stripe
- The Reserve Forces Merit Medal 예비군포장 (豫備軍褒章) is white 백색 with a red 적색 stripe
- The Diplomatic Service Merit Medal 수교포장 (修交褒章) ribbon is rose pink 담홍색 with a brown 동색 stripe
- The Industrial Service Merit Medal 산업포장 (産業褒章) ribbon is green 록색 with a white 백색 stripe
