Taewonsu

Taewonsu (Korean: 대원수; lit. grand marshal) is the highest possible military rank of North Korea and is intended to be an honorific title for Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un. It is often confused with Marshal of the Republic and Marshal of the Korean People's Army, but ranks above both.^[1] The rank is senior to that of Wonsu. The title also exists in Chinese military history as dàyuánshuài (same Sino-Korean characters 大元帥), and was briefly taken by Sun Yat-sen.^[2][3]

Taewonsu Grand marshal
Shoulder boards for the rank of taewŏnsu
Country	North Korea
Service branch	Korean People's Army
Formation	April 1992
Next higher rank	None
Next lower rank	Konghwaguk Wonsu[a] (Marshal of the Republic)

Taewonsu
Hangul	대원수
Hanja	大元帥
RR	daewonsu
MR	taewŏnsu

History

The rank of taewonsu was created by a joint decision of the Central Committee and Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, the National Defence Commission and the Central People's Committee in April 1992 to honor Kim Il-sung on his 80th birthday (Day of the Sun). In February 2012, his son and successor Kim Jong-il was awarded the title posthumously on the occasion of his official 70th birthday (Day of the Shining Star). ^[4][5]

The insignia for taewonsu is similar to wonsu but with an added crest worn beneath the shoulder board's large marshal star (and an added crest added to the parade uniform's marshal star worn below the collar), below the Emblem of North Korea. The rank insignia is based on the rank of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union.

See also

• Dayuanshuai in Chinese
• Dai-gensui, the Japanese equivalent
• Wonsu, a rank lower than Taewonsu
• Gensui

Notes

1. 공화국 원수; 共和國元帥