Hero of the Republic
Hero of the Republic (Korean: 공화국영웅; MR: Konghwaguk Yŏng'ung) is a North Korean honorific title. It was created on 30 June 1950 as Hero of the Korean People's Republic (조선인민공화국영웅). It was the first title created in the country. Despite having been created just five days after the Korean War broke out, the connection seems incidental. 533 people were awarded Hero of the Republic during the war, and many more since then.
| Hero of the Republic 공화국영웅 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Honorific title |
| Country | North Korea |
| Presented by | Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
| Campaign(s) | Korean War (initial) |
| Status | Active |
| Established | 30 June 1950 |
| Total | At least 6116 |
| Total awarded posthumously | Kim Jong-suk soldiers of KPA and CVF killed in action |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | None or Order of Kim Il Sung |
| Next (lower) | Hero of Labour |
| Related | Order of the National Flag (1st class) |
| Hero of the Republic | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | |
|---|---|
| Hancha | |
| Revised Romanization | Gonghwagugy Yeongung |
| McCune–Reischauer | Konghwaguk Yŏng'ung |
Since there is no agreed upon order of precedence of North Korean titles, orders, and medals, it is not possible to definitively establish the rank of Hero of the Republic. According to Yonhap's North Korea Handbook, Hero of the Republic ranks below the Order of Kim Il Sung but above the Hero of Labor. Martin Weiser, however, ranks Hero of Labor the highest.
The medal was designed by Jong Chon-pa, who also designed the Hero of Labor, Order of the National Flag and others, including the Emblem of North Korea.