Wonsu Wonsu is a very high military rank of the armed forces of the Republic of Korea and of the Democratic People ' s Republic of Korea . North Korea . " Wonsu " is a rank in the Korean People ' s Army of North Korea , equivalent to marshal in other armies . While he was the Supreme Commander of the Korean People ' s Army , Kim Il Sung became North Korea ' s first marshal during the Korean War by the decision of the Supreme People ' s Assembly , the unicameral parliament of North Korea . Period photographic evidence demonstrates that the early marshal shoulder board rank insignia was the same as that of the current vice marshal shoulder boards ( a large star overlain with the Democratic People ' s Republic of Korea coat - of - arms ) . The rank of vice marshal ( " chasu " ) is unique to the North Korean ranking system . Vice marshal was first conferred in February 1953 on Choe Yong Gon . Sources suggest that the shoulder board rank insignia for marshal and vice marshal then became a single large star without the state coat - of - arms ( for marshals ) and the state coat - of - arms without a star ( for vice marshals ) . By the time the next conferral of rank to vice marshal was awarded ( 1985 ) , the shoulder board rank insignia for marshal and vice marshal had taken on their current design . The next change in the DPRK marshal ranks took place in 1992 when the rank of " dae wonsu " or grand marshal ( full title grand marshal of the Democratic People ' s Republic of Korea ) was created for Kim Il Sung . At this time the rank of marshal was divided into two ranks : the rank of marshal with the title " marshal of the Democratic People ' s Republic of Korea " was conferred upon Kim Il Sung ' s son Kim Jong - il , and the same rank but with the title " marshal of the Korean People ' s Army " was conferred upon O Jin U . In 1995 , two other military officers were conferred the rank of marshal with the title " marshals of the Korean People ' s Army " , i . e . Choe Kwang and Ri Ul Sol . Insignia of rank of the two grades of marshal are different ( with the insignia for marshal of the Democratic People ' s Republic of Korea being more like that of grand marshal - the grand marshal insignia has a larger wreath encompassing the marshal ' s star - but is more smaller as it is below the star itself ) . Also , in 1992 eight other generals were promoted to vice marshal at which time in North Korea there was one grand marshal , one marshal of the Democratic People ' s Republic of Korea , one marshal of the Korean People ' s Army and eight vice marshals . The rank ( as marshal of the DPRK ) was bestowed to Kim Jong - un in 2012 . South Korea . " Wonsu " , known in English as " general of the army of the Republic of Korea " , is the highest military rank of the Republic of Korea ( ROK ) armed forces and is the combined equivalent of a field marshal , fleet admiral and marshal of the Air Force in other nations . The rank is senior to that of " daejang " . " Wonsu " only exists on paper , and has never been held by an officer of the South Korean Armed Forces . According to the Armed Forces Personnel Act of National Defense Law of the Republic of Korea , the " wonsu " is appointed from the " daejang " who has distinguished achievements . The South Korean rank insignia for " wonsu " is heavily influenced by United States military insignia , in that a five - star pentagon design is used very similar to the U . S . rank of general of the army . Meaning . Coincidentally , " wonsu " is also a word meaning " mortal enemy " ( 怨讐 ) . The two words have different etymologies and hanja , but in South Korea are homophonous and so are written identically in hangul . In North Korea , the government has addressed the issue by changing the word for " enemy " to " wonssu " ( 원쑤 ) .