Military ranks of North Korea

The Military ranks of North Korea are the military insignia used by the Korean People's Army. Due to the close military cooperation, North Korean ranks are inspired by the Soviet and Russian ranks system.^[1]

Special ranks[]

North Korean rank	North Korean insignia^[2]
Grand Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Korean language: 대원수 )^{[lower-alpha 1]}
Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Korean language: 공화국원수 )^{[lower-alpha 2]}

Commissioned officer ranks[]

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers						Senior officers				Junior officers
Korean People's Army^[3] [ v t e ]
Korean People's Army^[3] [ v t e ]	인민군원수 Inmingun-wonsu	차수 Chasu	대장 Daejang	상장 Sangjang	중장 Chungjang	소장 Sojang	대좌 Daechwa	상좌 Sangjwa	중좌 Chungjwa	소좌 Sojwa	대위 Taewi	상위 Sangwi	중위 Chungwi	소위 Sowi
Korean People's Navy^[3] [ v t e ]
Korean People's Navy^[3] [ v t e ]	인민군원수 Inmingun-wonsu	차수 Chasu	대장 Daejang	상장 Sangjang	중장 Chungjang	소장 Sojang	대좌 Daechwa	상좌 Sangjwa	중좌 Chungjwa	소좌 Sojwa	대위 Taewi	상위 Sangwi	중위 Chungwi	소위 Sowi
North Korea Air Force^[3] [ v t e ]
North Korea Air Force^[3] [ v t e ]	인민군원수 Inmingun-wonsu	차수 Chasu	대장 Daejang	상장 Sangjang	중장 Chungjang	소장 Sojang	대좌 Daechwa	상좌 Sangjwa	중좌 Chungjwa	소좌 Sojwa	대위 Taewi	상위 Sangwi	중위 Chungwi	소위 Sowi
Rank group	General / flag officers						Senior officers				Junior officers

Other ranks[]

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs					Junior NCOs			Enlisted
Equivalent NATO Code	OR-9	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2		OR-1
North Korea (Edit)											No equivalent
	T'ŭkmu-sangsa 특무상사	Sangsa 상사	Chungsa 중사	Hasa 하사	Sanggŭp-pyŏngsa 상급병사	Chungŭp-pyŏngsa 중급병사		Hagŭp-pyŏngsa 하급병사	Chŏnsa 전사
	Sergeant major	Master sergeant	Sergeant first class	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal		Lance corporal	Private
Korean People's Navy^[3] [ v t e ]
Korean People's Navy^[3] [ v t e ]	특무상사 T'ŭkmu-sangsa	상사 Sangsa	중사 Chungsa	하사 Hasa	상급병사 Sanggŭp-pyŏngsa	중급병사 Chungŭp-pyŏngsa		하급병사 Hagŭp-pyŏngsa	전사 Chŏnsa
North Korea (Edit)											No equivalent
	T'ŭkmu-sangsa 특무상사	Sangsa 상사	Chungsa 중사	Hasa 하사	Sanggŭp-pyŏngsa 상급병사	Chungŭp-pyŏngsa 중급병사		Hagŭp-pyŏngsa 하급병사	Chŏnsa 전사
	Sergeant Major	Master Sergeant	Sergeant First Class	Staff Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal		Airman First Class	Airman

Notes[]

↑ Highest possible political-military rank of North Korea and is intended to be an honorific title for the nation’s Great Leaders.
↑ Highest political-military rank reserved only for Supreme Leader of North Korea.

References[]

↑ Keegan, John (1979). "North Korea". In Keegan, John. World armies. Sandhurst: Royal Military Academy. p. 409. LCCN 79-9217. https://archive.org/details/worldarmies00keeg/page/408/mode/2up. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
↑ Tertitskiy, Fyodor (14 March 2017). "North Korea’s baffling personalized rank insignia, explained". NK News. Korea Risk Group. https://www.nknews.org/2017/03/north-koreas-baffling-personalized-rankings-explained/?t=1489885329050.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Minnich, James M. (2008). "National Security". In Worden, Robert L.. North Korea: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 266, 268. LCCN 2008028547. https://www.loc.gov/resource/frdcstdy.northkoreacountr00word/?sp=312. Retrieved 20 October 2021.

External links[]

"Korea (North – Democratic People's Republic)". The International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia. http://www.uniforminsignia.org/index.php?option=com_insigniasearch&Itemid=53&search_id=main&state=161&search_id=top.

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Military ranks of North Korea and the edit history here.

[3] Highest possible political-military rank of North Korea and is intended to be an honorific title for the nation’s Great Leaders.

[4] Highest political-military rank reserved only for Supreme Leader of North Korea.

[1] Keegan, John (1979). "North Korea". In Keegan, John. World armies. Sandhurst: Royal Military Academy. p. 409. LCCN 79-9217. https://archive.org/details/worldarmies00keeg/page/408/mode/2up. Retrieved 31 January 2022.

[2] Tertitskiy, Fyodor (14 March 2017). "North Korea’s baffling personalized rank insignia, explained". NK News. Korea Risk Group. https://www.nknews.org/2017/03/north-koreas-baffling-personalized-rankings-explained/?t=1489885329050.

[North_Korea-5] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Minnich, James M. (2008). "National Security". In Worden, Robert L.. North Korea: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 266, 268. LCCN 2008028547. https://www.loc.gov/resource/frdcstdy.northkoreacountr00word/?sp=312. Retrieved 20 October 2021.

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