The Order of Saemaeul Service Merit 새마을훈장
The Saemaeul Movement is a government sponsored program to develop the infrastructure of Korea from the bottom up. The order is given to those who have rendered outstanding service in the Saemaeul Movement. The movement, is known under several names, including; the New Community Movement, the New Village Movement or Saemaeul Undong. It was politically motivated and was launched on April 22, 1970, by South Korean president Park Chung-hee. Its stated goal was to modernize the rural economy. During the 1960s, there was a growing disparity between the nation’s urban centers and the rural villages. The Saemaeul Movement sought to rectify this growing disparity. The early campaigns focused on improving the living conditions of rural environments, while later projects were more focused on improving the rural infrastructure. It was a highly successful project during the 1970s, but lost most of its momentum with the death of President Park Chung Hee. Because of the success of the program, it has been exported to various foreign countries.
As mentioned above, the Order of Saemaeul Merit was created by the Park Chung-hee government, and even though Park Chung-hee was its greatest proponent, it was the Chun Doo-hwan administration (1981-1988) that issued the majority of the awards. However, as various irregularities, including corruption, of the Saemaul Undong Headquarters were exposed at the 5th Public Hearing in 1988, the number of medals awarded, drastically decreased.
However you look at it, the Saemaeul Movement was an extremely transformative feature in the history of the Korean economy. One small unforeseen feature, was that some individuals who were decorated with this order, used it to bolster their resume when left the rural environment and were seeking urban employment.
1973 SERIES
The Order of Saemaeul Service Merit was created on Jan. 25, 1973 by Presidential Decree #2447. By November 1, 1973, the designs for the five classes were finalized and approved under the Decorations Law Enforcement Decree #6916.
Symbols employed: The rice flower on the suspension device means fruitage and wealth. The red wings refer to the brilliance of the hard work. The six small gold wings in the form of a honeycomb, which are found on each side of the red wings, indicate diligence and cooperation. The rice leaves found nestled within the honeycomb means production. The light green color 연두색 of the ribbon means birth, growth and advancement, while the red color 적색 symbolizes burning passion. The red color on the center plate means passion and sincerity. The bell 종 at the center means dissemination throughout the nation. The bell that is at the center of the pendant, breast star and lapel pin is not on the ribbon bar. The bell is also pictured with a clapper, which is not found on traditional bells in Korea, and may be symbolic of new ideas or new way of doing things?
The classes are:
- Jarib Medal 자립장 (Self-Reliance) The pendant has a major diameter of 60 mm, and weighs 42.7 grams. The sash is 80 × 1,700 mm in size, and is a solid light green 연두색. The breast star has a major diameter of 70 mm, and weighs 42.7 grams. This weight is probably an error, since the larger breast star is the same weight as the smaller pendant? In the 1974 legislation, the weight of the breast star is 56.0 grams, and this is most likely the correct weight for this series. There is a 38 × 10 mm ribbon bar which is light green with two red 적색 stripes, one on each side of the center. No sizes are given for the width of the red stripes, but it is probably 5 or 6 mm. There is also a 12 × 8 mm lapel pin.
- Jarib Medal 자립장 (Self-Reliance), (Sized) For Ladies The pendant has a major diameter of 50 mm, and weighs 29.3 grams. The sash is 65 × 1,700 mm in size, and is a solid light green 연두색. The breast star has a major diameter of 60 mm, and weighs 41.3 grams. There is a 38 × 10 mm ribbon bar which is light green with two red 적색 stripes, one on each side of the center. No sizes are given for the width of the stripes, but it is probably 5 or 6 mm. There is also a 12 × 8 mm lapel pin.
- Jajo Medal 자조장 (Self-Help) The pendant has a major diameter of 55 mm, and weighs 36.0 grams. The cravat is 38 × 600 mm in size, and is light green 연두색 with eight red 적색 1.5 mm stripes, four on each side of a 13 mm, light green center stripe. The breast star has a major diameter of 60 mm, and weighs 41.3 grams. There is a 38 × 10 mm ribbon bar. The stripe pattern on the ribbon bar mimics the cravat, in both the colors and in the width of the stripes. There is also a 12 × 8 mm lapel pin.
- Hyeobdong Medal 협동장 (Cooperation) The pendant has a major diameter of 50 mm, and weighs 29.3 grams. The cravat is 38 × 600 mm in size, and is light green 연두색 with six red 적색, 1.5 mm stripes, two on each side of a 17 mm, light green center stripe. There is no breast star. There is a 38 × 10 mm ribbon bar. The stripe pattern on the ribbon bar mimics the cravat, in both the colors and in the width of the stripes. There is also a 12 × 8 mm lapel pin.
- Geunmyeon Medal 근면장 (Diligence) The pendant has a major diameter of 50 mm, and weighs 29.3 grams. (The same as the third class.) The breast ribbon is 38 × 100 mm in size, and is light green 연두색 with four red 적색, 1.5 mm stripes, three on each side of a 24 mm, light green center stripe. There is a 38 × 10 mm ribbon bar. The stripe pattern on the ribbon bar mimics the cravat, in both the colors and in the width of the stripes. There is also a 12 × 8 mm lapel pin.
- Noryeog Medal 노력장 (Endeavor) The pendant has a major diameter of 50 mm, and weighs 29.3 grams. (The same as the third and fourth classes.) The breast ribbon is 38 × 100 mm in size, and is light green 연두색 with two red 적색, 2 mm stripes, one on each side of a 30 mm, light green center stripe. There is a 38 × 10 mm ribbon bar. The stripe pattern on the ribbon bar mimics the cravat, in both the colors and in the width of the stripes. There is also a 12 × 8 mm lapel pin.
1974 SERIES
Except for the weight information of the Jarib breast star, that I mention above, all other details are identical to the 1973 legislation.
1984 SERIES
On Jan. 23, 1984, the Order of Saemaeul Service underwent several changes which were codified in Decorations Law Enforcement Decree #11336.
The classes are:
- Jarib Medal 자립장 (Self-Reliance) The pendant has a major diameter of 70 mm, and weighs 69.0 grams. The sash is 80 × 1,700 mm in size, and is a solid light green 연두색. The breast star has a major diameter of 80 mm, and weighs 85.0 grams. There is a 38 × 10 mm ribbon bar which is light green with two 6 mm, red 적색 stripes, one on each side of the 24 mm light green center stripe. There is also a 12 × 8 mm lapel pin, with two 1.5 mm red stripes, one on each side of a 4 mm light green center stripe. The “Bell” 종 that is at the center of the pendant, breast star and lapel pin is not on the ribbon bar.
- Jarib Medal 자립장 (Self-Reliance), (Sized) For Ladies The pendant has a major diameter of 50 mm, and weighs 37.5 grams. The sash is 65 × 1,700 mm in size, and is a solid light green 연두색. The breast star has a major diameter of 55 mm, and weighs 43.0 grams. There is a 38 x 10 mm ribbon bar which is light green with two 6 mm, red 적색 stripes, one on each side of the 24 mm light green center stripe. There is also a 12 × 8 mm lapel pin, with two 1.5 mm red stripes, one on each side of a 4 mm light green center stripe.
- Jajo Medal 자조장 (Self-Help) The pendant has a major diameter of 60 mm, and weighs 49.5 grams. The cravat is 38 × 600 mm in size, and is light green 연두색 with eight red 적색1.5 mm stripes, four on each side of a 13 mm, light green center stripe. The breast star has a major diameter of 70 mm, and weighs 66.5 grams. There is a 38 × 10 mm ribbon bar. The stripe pattern on the ribbon bar mimics the cravat, in both the colors and in the width of the stripes. There is also a 12 × 8 mm lapel pin, with eight 0.2 mm red stripes, four on each side of a 4 mm light green center stripe. The “Bell” 종 that is at the center of the pendant, breast star and lapel pin is not on the ribbon bar.
- Hyeobdong Medal 협동장 (Cooperation) The pendant has a major diameter of 50 mm, and weighs 35.0 grams. The cravat is 38 × 600 mm in size, and is light green 연두색 with six red 적색, 1.5 mm stripes, three on each side of a 19 mm, light green center stripe. There is no breast star. There is a 38 × 10 mm ribbon bar. The stripe pattern on the ribbon bar mimics the cravat, in both the colors and in the width of the stripes. There is also a 12 × 8 mm lapel pin, with six 0.2 mm red stripes, three on each side of a 5 mm light green center stripe. The bell that is at the center of the pendant, breast star and lapel pin is not on the ribbon bar.
- Geunmyeon Medal 근면장 (Diligence) The pendant has a major diameter of 50 mm, and weighs 33.5 grams. The breast ribbon is 38 × 100 mm in size, and is light green 연두색 with four red 적색, 1.5 mm stripes, two on each side of a 24 mm, light green center stripe. There is a 38 × 10 mm ribbon bar. The stripe pattern on the ribbon bar mimics the cravat, in both the colors and in the width of the stripes. There is also a 12 × 8 mm lapel pin, with four 0.3 mm red stripes, two on each side of a 5 mm light green center stripe. The bell that is at the center of the pendant, breast star and lapel pin is not on the ribbon bar.
- Noryeog Medal 노력장 (Endeavor) The pendant has a major diameter of 50 mm, and weighs 33.5 grams. (The same as the fourth classes.) The breast ribbon is 38 × 100 mm in size, and is light green 연두색 with two red 적색, 2 mm stripes, one on each side of a 30 mm, light green center stripe. There is a 38 × 10 mm ribbon bar. The stripe pattern on the ribbon bar mimics the cravat, in both the colors and in the width of the stripes. There is also a 12 × 8 mm lapel pin, with two 0.5 mm red stripes, two on each side of a 5 mm light green center stripe. The bell that is at the center of the pendant, breast star and lapel pin is not on the ribbon bar.
CURRENTLY
Since 1984, the Decorations Law Enforcement Decree has been changed 19 times. The current legislation is Decree #30517 and was enacted on March 10, 2020. In the intervening years, the only major change was to the Jarib Medal 자립장 (Self-Reliance), (sized) for Ladies. It was found to be discriminatory and was dropped in 2016.1 The only other change was that the current legislation uses the word 붉은색 for red, instead of the original term 적색. All other dimensions, weights, etc. remain the same.
The current Classes are:
