# Order of Military Merit (South Korea)

The Order of Military Merit (Hangul: 무공훈장) is the primary military decoration awarded by the South Korean government.
It is awarded to a person who rendered "outstanding military services by participating in an action in time of war or in quasi-state of war or by performing his/her duty equivalent to combat, such as responding to the attack of an enemy in a contact area."

## History

On 18 October 1950, law about Order of Military Merit was enacted.
Original names are as follows:
* First Class Order of Military Merit,
* Second Class Order of Military Merit,
* Third Class Order of Military Merit,
* Fourth Class Order of Military Merit
On 19 August 1951, The names were changed as follows:
* Taegeuk Order of Military Merit,
* Eulji Order of Military Merit,
* Chungmu Order of Military Merit,
* Hwarang Order of Military Merit
On 14 December 1963, Inheon Order of Military Merit was added.

## Classes and Grades

The Order of Military Merit is awarded in five classes and each of these has three grades. In descending order of rank, the classes are: Taegeuk (태극), Eulji (을지), Chungmu (충무), Hwarang (화랑) and Inheon (인헌).
Taegeuk (태극), Eulji (을지), Chungmu (충무), Hwarang (화랑) had a first, second or third grade, denoted respectively by a gold star (금성), silver star (은성), or an unadorned ribbon (무성).
For example, Gold Star Taegeuk (금성태극), Silver Star Taegeuk (은성태극), or Unadorned Taegeuk. (무성태극)
Since 1964, there are only five classes authorized as below.
| Class | Name | Namesake |
| 1st | Taegeuk (태극) | Taegeuk |
| 2nd | Eulji (을지) | Eulji Mundeok |
| 3rd | Chungmu (충무) | Yi Sun-sin |
| 4th | Hwarang (화랑) | Hwarang |
| 5th | Inheon (인헌) | Gang Gam-chan |

## Notable recipients

※ Date: Date is on the certificate document or on database is prior to date of conferment ceremony. ※ Rank: As of awarded date ※ † indicates that the recipient was killed in action.

### Taegeuk

| Name | Service / Unit | Rank | Date |
| Douglas MacArthur | United States Army | General of the Army | 1950-09-29 |
| Paik Sun-yup | Republic of Korea Army | Major General | 1951-07-26 |
| Paik Sun-yup | Republic of Korea Army | General | 1953-04-05 |
| Kim Hong-il | Republic of Korea Army | Lieutenant General | 1951-07-26 |
| Sohn Won-yil | Republic of Korea Navy | Admiral | 1951-10-30 |
| Sohn Won-yil | Republic of Korea Navy | Admiral | 1953-04-05 |
| Horace Robertson | Australian Army | Lieutenant General | 1951-11-07 |
| James Van Fleet | United States Army | Lieutenant General | 1951-11-27 |
| Matthew Ridgway | United States Army | Lieutenant General | 1952-05-09 |
| Raoul Magrin-Vernerey | French Army | Lieutenant General (acting Lieutenant colonel) | 1952-11-04 |
| Kim Jong-oh | Republic of Korea Army | Major General | 1952-12-26 |
| Lee Hyung-geun | Republic of Korea Army | Lieutenant General | 1952-12-30 |
| Lee Hyung-geun | Republic of Korea Army | Lieutenant General | 1953-05-18 |
| Im Chung-sik | Republic of Korea Army | Brigadier General | 1953-05-20 |
| Song Yo-chan | Republic of Korea Army | Major General | 1953-06-05 |
| William F. Dean | United States Army | Major General | 1953-09-04 |
| Mark W. Clark | United States Army | General | 1953-09-07 |
| Kim Man-sool [ko] | Republic of Korea Army | Second Lieutenant | 1954-07-06 |
| Homer Litzenberg | United States Marine Corps | Major General | 1957-10-23 |
| Frank F. Everest | United States Air Force | General | ? |
| Cornelius E. Ryan | United States Army | Major General | ? |
| Kang Jae-gu | Republic of Korea Army | Captain | 1966-05-12 |
| William Westmoreland | United States Army | General | 1966-09-06 |
| Chae Myung-shin | Republic of Korea Army | Lieutenant General | 1967-05-20 |
| Charles Smith | United States Army | Brigadier General | 1975-07-04 |
| Young-Oak Kim | United States Army | Colonel | 2006-02-03 |
| Edward Rowny | United States Army | Lieutenant General | 2014-07-27 |
| William Speakman | British Army | Sergeant | 2015-07-27 |
| Thomas J. Hudner Jr. | United States Navy | Captain | 2015-07-27 |
| Hector A. Cafferata Jr. | United States Marine Corps | Private First Class | 2015-07-27 |
| Maximo Young | Philippine Army, PEFTOK | Major | 2016-07-27 |
| Conrado Yap † | Philippine Army, PEFTOK | Captain | 2018-07-27 |
| Emil Kapaun † | United States Army | Captain | 2021-07-27 |
| Ralph Puckett Jr. | United States Army | Colonel | 2023-04-25 |
| Royce Williams | United States Navy | Captain | 2023-04-25 |
| Baldomero López † | United States Marine Corps | First lieutenant | 2023-04-25 |

### Eulji

| Name | Service / Unit | Rank | Date |
| Walton Walker | United States Army | Lieutenant General | 1950-12-19 |
| Walton Walker | United States Army | General | 1953-01-03 |
| Edward Almond | United States Army | Major General | 1950-12-25 |
| Edward Almond | United States Army | Lieutenant General | 1953-01-03 |
| Kim Suk-won | Republic of Korea Army | Brigadier General | 1950-12-30 |
| Oliver P. Smith | United States Marine Corps | Major General | 1951-04-26 |
| Oliver P. Smith | United States Marine Corps | Major General | 1953-01-03 |
| Dean Hess | United States Air Force | Lieutenant Colonel | 1951-05-29 |
| Chae Byong-duk † | Republic of Korea Army | Lieutenant General | 1952-05-20 |
| Alberto Ruiz Novoa | National Army of Colombia | Lieutenant Colonel | 1953-06-24 |
| Edwin A. Doss | United States Air Force | Colonel | 1954-01-29 |
| Kim Shin | Republic of Korea Air Force | Brigadier General | 1954-10-01 |
| William Westmoreland | United States Army | Brigadier General | 1954-11-05 |
| Praphas Charusathien | Royal Thai Army | Major General | 1955 |
| William Hamilton Shaw † | United States Navy | Captain | 1956-09-22 |
| Homer Litzenberg | United States Marine Corps | Major General | 1957-11-19 |
| Thomas H. Hewlett | United States Army Medical Corps | Colonel | 1961-07-31 |
| Cornelius E. Ryan | United States Army | Major General | ? |
| Chesty Puller | United States Marine Corps | Lieutenant General | ? |
| William P. Yarborough | United States Army | Lieutenant General | 1969-07-24 |
| Charles Hercules Green † | Australian Army | Lieutenant Colonel | 2019-07-27 |

### Chungmu

| Name | Service / Unit | Rank | Date |
| Lee Dae-yong | Republic of Korea Army | Captain | 1950-12-30 |
| Lee Dae-yong | Republic of Korea Army | Military attaché | 1972-04-10 |
| Han Moo-hyup | Republic of Korea Army | ? | 1951-10-04 |
| Han Moo-hyup | Republic of Korea Army | ? | 1953-09-21 |
| Han Moo-hyup | Republic of Korea Army | Major General | 1969-02-18 |
| A. G. Rangaraj | Indian Army, 60th Parachute Field Ambulance | Lieutenant Colonel | 1951-08-21 |
| A. G. Rangaraj | Indian Army, 60th Parachute Field Ambulance | Lieutenant Colonel | 1951-11-30 |
| James McDivitt | United States Air Force | Brigadier General | ? |
| Clayton O. Totman | United States Marine Corps | Brigadier General | ? |
| Denis Earp SSA SD SM SOE | South African Air Force | Lieutenant General | 1961-06-30 |
| Elmo Zumwalt | United States Navy | Admiral | 1969-04-25 |

### Hwarang

| Name | Service / Unit | Rank | Date |
| Walter C. Monegan Jr. † | United States Marine Corps | Private First Class | 1954-04-12 |
| Hugh M. Elwood | United States Marine Corps | Lieutenant general | ? |
| Jack T. Bishoff | United States Navy | Captain | ? |
| William Geftman | United States Marine Corps | Lieutenant Colonel | ? |
| Wilbur F. Simlik | United States Marine Corps | Major General | 1970-04-10 |
| Phan Hòa Hiệp [vi] | Army of the Republic of Vietnam | Colonel | 1971-01-29 |

### Inheon

| Name | Service / Unit | Rank | Date | Notes |
| Ji Man-won | Republic of Korea Army | Captain | 1970-11-13 | |
| Yoon Jang-ho | Republic of Korea Army | Staff Sergeant | 2007-03-01 | |