View source for Comparative military ranks of Korea

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The '''comparative military ranks of Korea''' are the military insignia used by the two nations on the [[Korean Peninsula]], those being the [[Republic of Korea Armed Forces]] ([[South Korea]]) and the [[Korean People's Army|Korean People's Army of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea]] ([[North Korea]]). The [[United States Forces Korea]] personnel wear the ranks and insignia used by other service personnel of the [[United States Armed Forces]] in the territories of the United States.

In the South Korean armed forces, ranks fall into one of four categories: [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned officer]], [[warrant officer]], [[non-commissioned officer]], and [[Enlisted rank|junior enlisted]] ("''Byeong''"), in decreasing order of authority. Commissioned officer ranks are subdivided into [[General officer|general]] officers ("Jangseong"; 장성/將星), [[field officer|field-grade]] officers ("Yeonggwan"; 영관/領官), and [[company-grade officer|company-grade]] officers ("Wigwan"; 위관/尉官). The ranks of all three branches (the [[Republic of Korea Army|Army]], [[Republic of Korea Navy|Navy]], and [[Republic of Korea Air Force|Air Force]]) of the South Korean Armed Forces share the same titles in [[Hangul]]. Most ranks of South and North Korea are identical, with some exceptions such as the supreme North Korean ranks.

While the North Korean ranks are inspired by the [[Ranks and insignia of the Soviet Armed Forces 1943–1955|Soviet ranks]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Keegan |first1=John |editor1-last=Keegan |editor1-first=John |title=World armies |date=1979 |publisher=Royal Military Academy |location=Sandhurst |lccn=79-9217 |page=409 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/worldarmies00keeg/page/408/mode/2up |chapter-url-access=registration |access-date=31 January 2022 |chapter=North Korea}}</ref> the South Korean ranks are inspired by the United States.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Keegan |first1=John |editor1-last=Keegan |editor1-first=John |title=World armies |date=1979 |publisher=Royal Military Academy |location=Sandhurst |lccn=79-9217 |page=415 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/worldarmies00keeg/page/414/mode/2up |chapter-url-access=registration |access-date=31 January 2022 |chapter=South Korea}}</ref>

The following table lists the comparative ranks of the militaries in Korea, including their rank titles and insignia. In this table, the North Korean military rank insignia shown is that of their Army field uniform [[Shoulder mark|shoulder boards]]; their parade uniforms and uniforms of other branches use alternative color schemes with the same basic design. The South Korean likewise have subdued versions of their insignia in each of their branches.

==Special ranks==
{| class="wikitable"
! North Korean rank
! North Korean insignia<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tertitskiy |first1=Fyodor |title=North Korea's baffling personalized rank insignia, explained |url=https://www.nknews.org/2017/03/north-koreas-baffling-personalized-rankings-explained/?t=1489885329050 |access-date=25 October 2021 |work=[[NK News]] |publisher=Korea Risk Group |date=14 March 2017}}</ref>
|-
| Grand Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea<br />({{langx|ko|대원수|[[Tae wonsu]]}}){{efn|Highest possible political-military rank of North Korea and is intended to be an honorific title for the nation's Great Leaders.}}
| {{center|[[File:DPRK-Army-OF-12.svg|50px]]}}
|-
| Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea<br />({{langx|ko|공화국원수|Konghwaguk [[Wonsu]]}}){{efn|Highest political-military rank reserved only for Supreme Leader of North Korea.}}
| {{center|[[File:DPRK-Army-OF-11.svg|50px]]}}
|}

==Officer ranks==
The shoulder boards and sleeve stripes of South Korean ranks apply only to their navies. North Korea's [[Korean People's Army|People's Army]] does not maintain a separate marine corps or naval infantry branch as part of their armed forces, although it does maintain two "amphibious sniper brigades" as part of the [[North Korean Special Operation Force]] (NKSOF). North Korean insignia follow the Soviet pattern, while South Korean insignia follow a mix of American and British rank insignia traditions.

No one has held the five-star rank ''Wonsu'' in the history of the ROK Armed Forces.

===Army ranks===
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/North Korea}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/South Korea}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}
|}

All DPRK Marshalls wear Ground Force uniform as there is no division of Branch after this rank.

===Air force ranks===
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Air Forces/OF/North Korea}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Air Forces/OF/South Korea}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}
|}

===Naval ranks===
ROK Navy [[Commissioned officers|commissioned officer]] ranks have two distinct sets of rank insignia: On [[dress uniform]] a series of stripes similar to the United States Navy naval ranks are worn; on service uniforms, working uniforms, and special uniform situations (combat utilities and flight suits), the rank insignia are the same as the equivalent rank in the Army or the Air Force.
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Navies/OF/North Korea}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Navies/OF/South Korea}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}
|}

===Marine Corps===
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Navies/OF/South Korea (Marine Corps)}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Navies/OF/Blank}}
|}

==Warrant officer ranks==
All branches of the [[Republic of Korea Armed Forces|South Korean armed forces]] maintain a single Warrant Officer rank known as ''[[Junwi]]''. [[Warrant Officer]]s fall in between non-commissioned and commissioned officers. The rank is denoted by a gold-colored ''Sowi'' insignia and, in the case of the South Korean Navy, a single broken sleeve stripe. The [[Korean People's Army|North Korean military]] does not maintain any equivalent Warrant Officer positions.

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
! Military Branch
! Army
! Navy
! Marine Corps
! Air Force
|-
! rowspan=2| Insignia
| colspan=4| [[File:SouthKorea-Collar-WO.svg|100px]]
|-
| [[File:SouthKorea-Army-WO.svg|50px]]
| [[File:SouthKorea-Navy-WO (sleeve).svg|50px]]
| [[File:ROKMC-WO.svg|50px]]
| [[File:SouthKorea-AirForce-WO.svg|50px]]
|-
! Rank title
| colspan=4| {{Lang|ko|준위}}<br/>准尉<br/>{{Lang|ko-Latn|[[Junwi]]}}
|}

==Enlisted ranks==
Both North Korea and South Korea share the same enlisted rank structure among all of their military branches. Enlisted rank insignia differ however: The ROKAF uses a mix of American, British, and French practice while the KPA's insignia follow Soviet practice.

In the South Korean armed forces, personnel with ranks of ''Hasa'' through ''Wonsa'' are considered [[non-commissioned officers]]. There are enlisted ranks called "Lance corporal", and "Corporal" in English, but they are not considered non-commissioned officer ranks, though they are treated as one if they hold an NCO position. ''Ideungbyeong'' ({{Korean|hangul=이등병|hanja=2等兵|labels=no}}, sometimes translated as private), ''Ildeungbyeong'' (일등병; 1等兵, sometimes translated as private first class), and ''Sangdeungbyeong'' (상등병; 上等兵, equivalent of a lance corporal) are commonly referred to as ''Ibyeong'', ''Ilbyeong'', and ''Sangbyeong'' respectively.

===Army ranks===
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/North Korea}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/South Korea}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/Blank}}
|}

===Air force ranks===
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Air Forces/OR/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Air Forces/OR/North Korea}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Air Forces/OR/South Korea}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Air Forces/OR/Blank}}
|}

===Navy ranks===
In reality, personnel in ''Sangsa'' and ''Wonsa'' rates are considered as [[chief petty officer]]s (i.e. Chief Petty Officer and Master Chief Petty Officer, respectively) in the [[Republic of Korea Navy|South Korean navy]]. ''Byeongjang'' and below are commonly referred to as "''Subyeong''" (seaman). 
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Navies/OR/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Navies/OR/North Korea}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Navies/OR/South Korea}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Navies/OR/Blank}}
|}

===Marine Corps===
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Navies/OR/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Navies/OR/South Korea (Marine Corps)}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Navies/OR/Blank}}
|}

==See also==
* [[Comparative military ranks]]
* [[Comparative army officer ranks of Asia]]

==Notes==
In the article, all South Korean ranks are spelled accordingly with the [[Revised Romanization of Korean]] system; all North Korean ranks use the [[McCune–Reischauer]] system.
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
* {{cite web |script-title=ko:군인사법, 시행 2021. 4. 13., 법률 제18000호, 2021. 4. 13., 일부개정 |trans-title=Military Justice Act, Enforcement April 13, 2021, Act No. 18000, April 13, 2021, partially amended |url=https://www.law.go.kr/%EB%B2%95%EB%A0%B9/%EA%B5%B0%EC%9D%B8%EC%82%AC%EB%B2%95/(20210413,18000,20210413)/%EC%A0%9C3%EC%A1%B0 |website=law.go.kr |access-date=19 May 2021 |language=ko}}

{{Military ranks by country}}

[[Category:Military ranks of North Korea| ]]
[[Category:Military ranks of South Korea| ]]
[[Category:Military ranks by country|Korea]]
[[Category:Military comparisons]]