Wonsu

Infobox Korean name


imgwidth=100px
caption=North Korean "Wonsu" badge.
hangul=원수
hanja=元帥
rr=Wonsu
mr=Wŏnsu__TOC__

outh Korea

A Wonsu 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.

North Korea

The rank of Wonsu also found in the military of North Korea. A North Korean Wonsu is rated above the rank known as "Chasu" (Vice Marshal) with the North Korean Wonsu considered the equivalent of a six star general.

As 2008, three people was awarded rank of Wonsu.
*O Chin-u - Minister of People's Armed Forces (died in 1995)
*Kim Jong-il - Chairman of the National Defense Commission, Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, and General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea
*Lee Ull-surl - Commander in Chief of Korean People's Guard Forces

An even higher rank, that of "Dae Wonsu" may be held by the commander-in-chief of the entire North Korean military. Kim Il-Sung once held this supreme rank as president of North Korea.

Meaning

Coincidentally, "wonsu" is also a word meaning "mortal enemy"(怨讐) in traditional Korean language. The two words have different etymologies and completely different hanja, but 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).