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Reference Material / Bibliography

This is actually my Bibliography 서지 書誌. I put it here just in case you’re wondering where I get my information and want to do some light reading. You will find that I have installed links to many of the Legal Statutes.

One of the major frustrations in researching Korean Orders and Medals is the lack of medal drawings within the legislation. Keep in mind that much of the legislation is revisions which do not affect the medals design and so they do not have drawings. For the legal codes with drawings, it’s not too bad for recent legislation, but it is definitely a problem with older material. Copies of all Korean Laws, Rules, Decrees, Regulations, etc, after enactment are kept by the Korean National Archives in the Official Gazette 관보. This gazette is now online, but it is split into two sections, one for older laws, which I call very simply call the Older Official Gazette 관보 (Kwan Bo) and one for newer legislation, which I call the Newer Official Gazette 관보 (Kwan Bo). In the listings below, if it says Official Gazette and has page numbers, it’s the Older Gazette, and you will need to enter the page number in the upper-left corner.

The newer gazette is fairly simple to use. Put in your Korean Search Term and hit enter. You should get back a list of results.

The older gazette is somewhat difficult to use. There is a bit of English text, which helps, somewhat. If you want to use the Gazette, the simplest trick is to copy the Korean title from the legislation that you are interested in, paste it into the search bar. Hitting enter will usually give you a list of possible results. Try to find the one you are interested in, typically by the date or decree number, select it by hitting the button on the far right. You should get all the legislation that passed on the same day as your legislation. There is a menu on the left, so again, look for the title that you are seeking. Once you select it, you will get a picture of the first page of that piece of legislation. Then just click the pages along the bottom of the screen, until you find the drawings, if it has drawings. It is a pain in the neck, but at least, if the legislation has drawings, you will find them. Often, you will find that the legislation you are searching for is only a small addition to the primary legal code, in which case you can start all over again in your hunt for the drawings. One last comment, the older Kwan Bo displays pictures of the legislation, so you won’t be able to cut-and-paste text or drawings from the documents that you find. You can, however, cut and paste the entire page of the legislative page and download it into a picture editing program like Paint Shop Pro. From there, you can crop out the picture(s) that you need.

Related Websites

References – Non-Government publications

  • Blakene, Jane F., YOUR KOREAN DECORATIONS, article in Marine Corps Gazette, March 1954, p.36, Copyright Marine Corps Association, Mar. 1954
  • Boik, Col. William A., USAR (Ret), ORDERS, DECORATIONS, AND MEDALS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA, 2008, DBM Press, LC, Springfield VA
  • Borts, Lawrence H., UNITED NATIONS MEDALS AND MISSION The Medals and Ribbons of the United Nations, published by MOA Press (Medals of America Press), Fountain Inn, South Carolina, 1998
  • Cabral, David L.,
    • ORDERS AND DECORATIONS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF KOREA, Monograph of the Orders and Medals Society of America (OMSA), 1994, Merriam Press, Bennington VT.
    • REPUBLIC OF KOREA FIRE DEPARTMENT SERVICE MEDALS, article in the Medal Collector, Vol. 46, No. 8-9, 1995, Pp. 26-31
    • REPUBLIC OF KOREA NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY SERVICE MEDALS, article in the Medal Collector, Vol. 46, No. 1-2, 1995, Pp. 27-36
    • REPUBLIC OF KOREA OLYMPIC SERVICE MEDALS, article in the Medal Collector, Vol. 46, No. 6, 1995, Pp. 28-34 (includes information on the Paralympic Service Medals)
  • Commander-in-Chief, United States Army Forces, Pacific,
  • Gleim, Albert F., and McDowell, Charles P., THE UNITED NATIONS KOREAN SERVICE MEDAL, Planchet Press Pub. 50, The Foxfall Press, Inc., Copyright 1990.
  • Headquarters Korea Civil Assistance Command APO 59, REFERENCE HANDBOOK GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA, Sept. 29, 1953.
  • Ingraham, Kevin R., HONORS, MEDALS AND AWARDS OF THE KOREAN WAR 1950-1953, Prospect Press, Binghamton, New York, 1993
  • Kane, Daniel, KOREA IN THE WHITE CITY: KOREAN PARTICIPATION IN THE WORLD’S COLUMBIAN EXHIBITION OF 1893, Center for Korean Studies, University of Hawaii, Honolulu
  • Kang In-hye, A VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE WAR AT THE CHOSŎN GRAND EXPOSITION OF 1940 AND COLONIAL BELONGING, published in Acta Koreana, Vol. 18, No. 2, Dec. 2015, pp. 445-482, Academia Koreana, Keimyung University, 2015
  • Kenney, General George C., THE MACARTHUR I KNOW, Duell, Sloan & Pierce, New York, 1951, p. 220.
  • Ki-baek Lee (Lee Ki-baek), A NEW HISTORY OF KOREA, Harvard University Press, 1984
  • Kim, Christine (2009). POLITICS AND PAGEANTRY IN PROTECTORATE KOREA (1905-10): THE IMPERIAL PROGRESSES OF SUNJONG. The Journal of Asian Studies, Volume 68, Issue 03, August 2009, pp 835-859 (Published online: August 19, 2009)
  • KOREAN RED CROSS AWARDS OPERATIONAL REGULATIONS 대한적십자사포상운영규정 (Aug. 26, 1975), Apr. 1, 2018 Revision
  • Lovmo, Mark, SOUTH KOREAN COINS IN THE ERA OF DEVELOPMENT, iAsure Group Jean Publications, July 2022 (Copies are still available at http://dokdo-research.com/SouthKoreanCoinBook.html)
  • Mandel, Edgar J.,
    • CAST COINAGE OF KOREA, Western Publishing Company, Inc., Racine, Wisconsin, 1972
    • TRIAL LISTING KOREAN CHARMS AND AMULETS, privately published Coral Gables, Florida, 33134, June 1968
  • Office of the Chief of Military History, Headquarters Republic of Korean Army, UNIT’S SHORT HISTORY ROKA 部隊略史 (ROKA HQ ARMIES CORPS DIVISIONS), Yongsan, Seoul, Mar. 1955.
  • Owain Raw-Rees, THE ETHIOPIAN MEMORIAL MEDAL OF THE KOREAN WAR, article in Jomsa, Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America, Vol. 71, No. 4 (July-August 2020), pp. 3-11
  • Owen, Colin R., THE SOUTH AFRICAN KOREA MEDAL ROLE, Chimperie Publications, South Africa, 1982.
  • Park Young-sin, THE CHOSŎN INDUSTRIAL EXPOSITION OF 1915, Dissertation Binghamton University, State University of New York, 2019
  • Pownall, Henry, KOREAN CAMPAIGN MEDALS 1950-53, dated 1954, publisher unknown.
  • Sessler, Warren E. and McDaniel Jr., Paul D., MILITARY AND CIVIL AWARDS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA (DPRK), 2009, published by Sessler Inc., produced for the publisher by John Taylor Book Ventures, Faringdon, Oxfordshire, UK.
  • So, Jong-Sup (소종섭), KOREA IS BEING TOUTED AS THE REPUBLIC OF “THE ORDER”?, Article published in Dong-A Weekly, Nov. 16, 2000, #259.
  • Stanton, Shelby L., VIETNAM ORDER OF BATTLE, Galahad Books, New York, 1987
  • Trost, L. J., DIE RITTER-UND VERDIENST-ORDEN, EHRENZEICHEN UND MEDAILLEN ALLER SOUVERÄNE UND STAATEN SEIT BEGINN DES XIX. JAHRHUNDERTS (The Knights and Orders of Merit, Decorations and Medals of All Sovereigns and States Since the Beginning of the XIX. Century), published in Wien and Leipzig by Wilhelm Braumüller in 1910.(Korea section: pp.42-45, and Table XXVI, drawings 5 & 6).
  • Unknown author, Former Korean Medals 舊韓國勳章圖 구한국훈장도 (Book found in the Korean National Library, contains colored drawings of Korean Empire Orders and Commemorative Medals)
  • U.S. Army, ARMY REGULATIONS 600-8-22, Personnel – General, Military Awards, Chapter 9-25, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Feb. 25, 1995.
  • U.S. Eighth Army Regulation 672-3 Civilian Awards Program
  • Yi Kang-chil, 이강칠 (李康七) KOREAN EMPIRE ERA, DECORATION SYSTEM 대한제국시대 훈장제도, Publisher백산출판사1999

The remaining references on this page are in the Public Domain. Some of them were the product of the Government-General of Korea, which, legally, no longer exists. While others are not eligible for copyright protection under Article 7 of the Copyright Act of South Korea. Works ineligible for copyright protection under Article 7 include the following:

  • Constitution, laws, treaties, decrees, ordinances and rules;
  • Notices, public notifications, directions and others similar to them issued by the state or local government;
  • Judgments, decisions, orders, or rulings of courts, as well as rulings and decisions made by the administrative appeal procedures, or other similar procedures;
  • Compilations or translations of works as referred to in Subparagraphs 1 to 3 which are produced by the state or local government; and
  • Current news reports which transmit simple facts, and digital audio transmission

The Korean Empire 1897-1910

The Annals of the Chosŏn Dynasty 조선왕조실록 (朝鮮王朝實錄) are also known as True or Veritable Records of the Chosŏn Dynasty. They record the activities of the Chosŏn kings by day, month, and year from 1392 to 1864. The Annals surpass all other dynastic records in the world in the sheer number of historical details collected over the course of 472 years. Except for two sillok compiled during the colonial era, these records are acknowledged as Korean National Treasure No. 151. On Oct. 1, 1997, they were listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the “Memory of the World Registry”. The Annals of King Kojong and the Annals of Sunjong of the Korean Empire were compiled during the Japanese colonial period are generally not included in the standard category of “Annals of the Chosŏn Dynasty”, but are viewed separately. More on this later.

The annals include politics, diplomacy, military, institutions, law, economy, industry, transportation, communication, society, customs, astronomy, geography, yin and yang, science, medicine, literature, music, and culture during the Chosŏn Dynasty.

During the reign of a monarch, professional historiographers / recorders maintained extensive records on the day-to-day activities of the king and the state. These daily accounts were kept as draft copies 사초 (史草). Great care was taken to ensure the neutrality of the historiographers, who had legal guarantees of independence. Nobody was allowed to read the draft copies, not even the king, and any historiographer who disclosed its contents or changed the content could be punished with beheading. These strict regulations lend great credibility to these records. The annals were always produced posthumously. Upon the death of a king and the coronation of his successor, the Office for Annals Compilation 실록청제명기 used the draft copies to begin the compilation of the annul for the deceased king. The compilation is done in three stages. During the first stage 초초 (初草) all material, from all sources, was collected. To ensure that all records were collected, laws were enacted to imprison and fine anyone who did not submit their records. In the second stage 중초 (中草) all the records were placed in chronological order. In the third stage 정초 (正草) the records were edited for content. After this, the edited records were printed 사고 (史庫) in multiple copies and stored in archive facilities throughout Korea.

Written in classical Chinese, a translation into Korean was begun in 1968 and completed in 1993. Currently the Annals are being translated into English, which is scheduled to be completed in 2033.

The Annals of King Kojong and Emperor Sunjong are not included in the “Annals of the Chosŏn Dynasty”. They were compiled under the direction of the Japanese, so their value is questionable. This is due to the distortion of historical facts by the Japanese to suit their needs. It was published with the approval of the Japanese Yiwangjik 이왕직 (李王職). An organization in charge of all affairs related to the Yi royal family during the Japanese colonial period. Yiwangjik managed and controlled every aspect of the Yi royal family, including the hiring and firing of employees in the Royal Household.  The organization belonged to Japan’s Imperial Household Agency, not the Japanese Government-General of Korea. It incorporated the Korean royal family into a lower unit of the Japanese Emperor’s family. While treating the Korean royal family with respect, its main function was to appease and control them. Unfortunately, these are the only two annals dealing with Korean Orders and the recipients there of.

  • Decree No. 13, Ordinance on Orders of Merit, April 17, 1900. Under this decree, the legal foundations for all the Orders of the Korean Empire were promulgated, except for the Order of the Auspicious Phoenix. The Order of the Golden Measure, the Order of the Plum Blossom, the Order of Taeguk and the Order of the Purple Falcon were put into motion. (The Order of the Eight Trigrams and the Order of the Auspicious Stars were placed on hold.)
  • Annals of King Kojong, April 16, 1901. Although already founded under Decree #13, Royal Decree No. 10 put into motion and set the precedent for the Order of the Eight Trigrams.
  • Annals of King Kojong, August 12, 1902. Although already founded under Decree #13, this entry put into motion and set the precedent for the Order of the Auspicious Stars.
  • Annals of King Kojong, March 30, 1904. This decree created the legal foundation for the Order of the Auspicious Phoenix.
  • Annals of Kojong, March 30, 1907. Although already founded by the 1904 decree, Royal Decree No. 20 put into motion and set the precedent for the Order of the Auspicious Phoenix.

Government-General of Korea 조선총독부 1910-1945 – Legal Statutes

Laws and Regulations which established the Legal Framework to administer Korea

Army Soldier Volunteer Training Recruitment Rules 육군병지원자훈련소생도채용규칙

Republic of Korea – Government Publications

  • Office of information Hq., ROK Army, REPUBLIC OF KOREA ARMY, Vol. l, 1954.
  • Office of information Hq., ROK Army, REPUBLIC OF KOREA ARMY, Vol. II, 1956.
  • Ministry of Government Administration 국무원사무저, AWARD SYSTEM상훈제도 – REPUBLIC OF KOREA 대한민국, circa 1958
  • Ministry of Government Administration, AWARD SYSTEM 훈장제탁 (賞勳制度), 1964.
  • Ministry of Government Administration, DECORATIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA 대한민국훈장 (大韓民國勳章), 12.30.1968.
  • Ministry of Government Administration, DECORATIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA 대한민국훈장 (大韓民國勳章), 1974.
  • Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs, ORDERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA, THE HISTORY OF MANUFACTURED STYLE CHANGES (대한민국 훈장 제 식 변천 사, 12-2003
  • Ministry of Government Information, DECORATIONS OVERVIEW, 상 훈 사 람 (賞 勳 使 覽) 12.1984
  • Ministry of National Defense, THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED NATIONS FORCES IN THE KOREAN WAR, VOLUME VI, 1st edition, Published by the War History Compilation Committee, 1977
  • REPUBLIC OF KOREA – THE HISTORY OF MERITS IN KOREAN INDEENDENCE MOVEMENT – OFFICIAL COMPILATION 大韓民國 – 獨立運動功勳史 – 發刊委員會編 (대한민국 – 독립운동공훈사 – 발간위원회편) Kwang Bok Publishing Co., Seoul, Korea 1984

Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Washington D.C. – Publications

  • Korean Pacific Press, KOREAN REPORT 1948-1952, A review of Governmental Procedures during Two Years of Peace and Two of War, Washington, D.C.  Aug. 15, 1952.
  • Office of Public Information, KOREAN REPORT Volume II, A Summary of Governmental Activities and Progress, Published by Korean Pacific Press, Washington, D.C., April 1955
  • Office of Public Information, KOREAN REPORT Volume III, Reports from the Cabinet Ministries of the Republic of Korea for 1954, Published by Korean Pacific Press, Washington, D.C., Sept. 1955
  • Office of Public Information, KOREAN REPORT Volume IV, Reports from the Cabinet Ministries of the Republic of Korea for 1955, Published by Korean Pacific Press, Washington, D.C., July. 1956
  • Korean Research and Information Office, KOREAN REPORT Volume V, Reports from the Cabinet Ministries of the Republic of Korea for 1957, Washington, D.C.
  • Korean Research and Information Office, KOREAN REPORT Volume VI, Reports from the Cabinet Ministries of the Republic of Korea for 1958, Washington, D.C.
  • Korean Pacific Press, Washington D.C. KOREAN SURVEY, Volume Nine, Number Two, February 1960

Korean Information Office, Embassy of  Korea, Washington, D.C., USA, KOREAN REPORT (Magazine),

  • Volume Two, Number Two, March 1962
  • Volume Two, Number Three, April, 1962
  • Volume Two, Number Four, May 1962
  • Volume Two, Number Seven, August 1962
  • Volume Two, Number Eight, September – October, 1962
  • Volume Three, Number Two, February – March, 1963
  • Volume Three, Number Three, April – May, 1963
  • Volume Three, Number Five, July – August, 1963. 
  • Volume Three, Number Six, September, 1963
  • Volume Three, Number Seven, October – November, 1963
  • Volume Three, Number Eight, December, 1963
  • Volume Four, Number Three, April – June, 1964
  • Volume Four, Number Four, July – September, 1964
  • Volume Five, Number Three, July – September, 1965
  • Volume Five, Number Four, October – December, 1965
  • Volume Six, Number Three, July – September, 1966
  • Volume Eight, Number Three, July-September, 1968

Republic of Korea – Legal Statutes

In Korea, when acts or subordinate statutes are amended, they do not leave all the original provisions intact while appending the new legislation to the bottom.  The Korean government either deletes or alters the existing provisions or phrases in the proper place and then inserts the newly amended or enacted matters in the relevant place.  In effect, each amendment is a complete stand-alone piece of legislation.  Within the document are the reference numbers and dates for the earlier legislation.

6.25 Incident Participation Medal Decree 六.二五사변종군기장령 (六.二五事變從軍記章令)

6.25 Incident Participation – Rules for awarding a heroic badge in honor of the 60th anniversary 6ㆍ25전쟁정전60주년기념호국영웅기장수여규칙

6.25 Military Medal Act (Abbreviated Name) ACT ON THE CONFERMENT OF ORDERS OF MILITARY MERIT FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICES RENDERED DURING THE KOREAN WAR

6.25전쟁 무공훈장 수여 등에 관한 법률

Armed Forces Foundation 10th Anniversary Commemoration Medal Decree 건군10주년기념기장령

Armed Forces Foundation 20th Anniversary Commemoration Medal Decree건군20주년기념기장령

Armed Forces Foundation 30th Anniversary Commemoration Medal Decree 건군30주년기념기장령

Armed Forces Foundation 40th Anniversary Commemoration Medal Decree 건군40주년기념기장령

Armed Forces Foundation 50th Anniversary Commemoration Medal Decree 건군50주년기념기장령

Decorations Law 상훈법 (賞勳法)

Decorations Law Enforcement Decree 상훈법시행령 (賞勳法施行令)

Decorations Review Committee Regulations 상훈심의희규장 (賞勳審議會規程)

Exemplary Public Service Personnel Regulations 모범공무원규정 (模範公務員規程)

Firefighter Service Medal Decree 소방공무원기장령

Foreign Orders Wearing Request Rules 의국훈장패용신청규칙 (外國勳章佩用申請規則)

Government Commendation Regulations Decree 정부표창규정령 (政府表彰規程令)

Grand Order of Mugunghwa Decree 무궁화대훈장령 (無窮花大勳章令)

Gulf War Medal Decree 걸프참전 기장령

Honorable Treatment of Persons of Distinguished Services to Independence 독립유공자예우에관한법

Honorable Treatment and Support of Persons, Etc. Distinguished Services to the State 국가유공자등예우및지원등에관한법

Honorable Treatment of Persons Wounded or Killed for a Righteous Cause Act 의사상자예우에관한법

Identification Card Regulations for Foreign Diplomats in Korea 한국주재외국외교관등의신분증급규칙

Korean Veterans Association Law 대한민국 재향군인회법 (大韓民國在鄕軍人會法)

Maritime Police Commendation Rules

Merit Medal Decree 포장령 (褒章令)

Military Commendation Regulations 군표창규정

National Emblem Rules 나라문장 규정

National Merited Person Medal Decree 국가유공자기장령

Official Calendar Law 연호에 관한법

Olympic Service Medal Decree 올림픽기장령

Order of Cultural Merit Merit Decree 문화훈장령 (文化勳章令)

Order of Diplomatic Service Merit Decree 수교훈장령 (樹交勳章令)

Order of Industrial Service Merit Decree 산업훈장령 (産業勳章令)

Order of Military Merit Decree 무공훈장령 (武功勳章令)

Order of National Foundation Merit Decree 건국공로훈장령 (建國功勞勳章令)

Order of Service Merit Decree 근무공로훈장령 (勤務功勞勳章令)

Order of the White Star Decree 소성훈장령 (素星勳章令)

Overcoming National Crisis Medal Decree 국난극복기장령 (Kwangju Massacre May 18, 1980)

Paralympic Service Medal Decree 장애자올림픽기장령

Peacekeeping Activities Commemoration of Dispatch Medal Decree 평화유지활동군 파병기념 기장령

Police Commendation Enforcement Regulations 경찰표창규정시행규칙

Police Commendation Rules 경찰 표창 규칙

Police Officers Bereaved Family Medal Decree 경찰관유족기장령

Police Officer Civil Service Medal Decree 경찰공무원기장령

Police Officer Medal Decree 경찰관기장령 (Service Medals)

Prison Officers Medal Decree 교도관기장령

Proclamation System Decree 공포식령 (公佈式令)

PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics Medal Decree 평창 동계올림픽 및 동계패럴림픽 기장령

Recommendation Regulations for Decorations to Foreigners 외국인서훈추천규정

Regulations for the Wearing of Orders 훈장패용규정

Regulations on awarding and wearing of firefighting officials medals 소방공무원 기장의 수여 및 패용에 관한 규정

Regulations on the reproduction of special railroad judicial police officers and awarding of badges, etc. 철도특별사법경찰관 복제 및 기장수여 등에 관한 규정

  • Republic of Korea Service Medal Decree 대한민국 근무기장령

Soldiers 경찰관유족기장령군인유족기장령 (軍人遺族記章令)

Soldiers Bereaved Family Medal Enforcement Decree 군인유족기장령시행세칙

United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Participation Act 국제연합 평화유지활동 참여에 관한 법률

Vietnam Participation Medal Decree 월남참전기장령

World Cup Medal 월드컵기장령

Wound Medal Decree 상이기장령 (傷痍記章令)

Wound Medal Decree Enforcement Regulations 상이기장령시행규칙

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