View source for Wonsu

{{Short description|Korean military rank}}
{{Infobox Korean name
|hangul=원수
|hanja=元帥
|rr=Wonsu
|mr=Wŏnsu
}}

'''{{lang|ko-Latn|Wonsu}}''' is the highest military rank in the armed forces of [[Korean People's Army|North Korea]] and [[Republic of Korea Army|South Korea]].<ref>Chung-in Moon,  Understanding regime dynamics in North Korea International Political Science Association. World Congress – 1998 Page 105 "Kim Jong Il.. ... which places him at the top of the party hierarchy, he holds the titles of the chairman of the National Defense Commission and the supreme commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA). He is, moreover, one of the two marshals ({{lang|ko-Latn|Wonsu}}) in the DPRK, the other being Li Ul Sol who heads the KPA unit that guards top officials (''howi ch'ongguk'')."</ref>

== Historical ==
The title of ''Wonsu'' or its variations had been used as the title of high-ranking military commanders in Korean history since [[Goryeo]] Dynasty onward.  For example, [[Gwon Yul]], a famous general in 16th century who rose to the supreme command of Korean forces during [[Imjin War]] held the title of "{{lang|ko-Latn|Do-wonsu}}", roughly translated as "high marshal".

== North Korea ==
{{more citations needed|section|date=November 2015}}
{{lang|ko-Latn|Wonsu}} is a rank in the [[Korean People's Army]] of [[North Korea]], equivalent to [[marshal]] in other armies. This rank is held by all [[Supreme Leader (North Korean title)|Supreme Leaders of the DPRK]].

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 [[unicameralism|unicameral]] [[parliament]] of North Korea, on February 4, 1953. 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 [[Emblem of North Korea|Democratic People's Republic of Korea coat-of-arms]]).

The rank of vice marshal ({{lang|ko-Latn|[[chasu]]}}) is unique to the North Korean ranking system. Vice marshal was first conferred in February 1953 on [[Choe Yong-gon (army commander)|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).{{citation needed|date=August 2014}} 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" (''konghwaguk wonsu'') 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 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.

On April 15, 2016, [[Kim Yong-chun]] and [[Hyon Chol-hae]] were promoted to the rank of Marshal of the Korean People's Army, the first promotions of active duty officers after 21 years.

===Insignia===
{{see also|Military ranks of North Korea}}
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
|- style="background-color:#CCCCCC; text-align:center;"
! Rank group||colspan=4| General/flag officers
|- style="text-align:center; background:#efefef;"
| Native name
| {{lang|ko|대원수/大元帥}}<br />{{lang|ko-Latn|[[Tae wonsu]]}}
| {{lang|ko|공화국원수/共和國元帥}}<br />{{lang|ko-Latn|Konghwaguk wonsu}}
| {{lang|ko|인민군원수/人民軍元帥}}<br />{{lang|ko-Latn|Inmingun-wonsu}}
|- style="text-align:center; background:#efefef;"
! Literal translation
| Grand marshal
| Marshal of the Republic
| Marshal of the Army
|- style="text-align:center;"
| Insignia<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tertitskiy |first1=Fyodor|author-link= Fyodor Tertitskiy |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>
| [[File:DPRK-Army-OF-12.svg|50px]]
| [[File:DPRK-Army-OF-11.svg|50px]]
| [[File:DPRK-Army-OF-10b.svg|50px]]
|}

===List of Marshals of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:70%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"
! colspan=4 align="center" width="0"|'''Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea'''<br /><small>조선민주주의인민공화국 원수</small>
|- style="background:#cccccc"
!colspan=2 align="center" width="0"|Marshal
!colspan=1 align="center" width="0"|Date of promotion
!colspan=1 align="center" width="0"|Notes
|-
|[[File:Kim Il Sung Portrait-3.jpg|alt=|80px]]
|'''[[Kim Il Sung]]'''<br /><span style="font-size:100%;">김일성</span><br />1912–1994
|7 February 1953
|Promoted to [[Taewonsu|Grand Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea]] on 13 April 1992.
|-
|[[File:Kim Jong il Portrait-2.jpg|alt=|80px]]
|'''[[Kim Jong Il]]'''<br /><span style="font-size:100%;">김정일</span><br />1941–2011
|20 April 1992
|Posthumously promoted to [[Taewonsu|Grand Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea]] on 14 February 2012.
|-
|[[File:Kim Jong-un April 2019 crop.jpg|80px]]
|'''[[Kim Jong Un]]'''<br /><span style="font-size:100%;">김정은</span><br />born 1984
|18 July 2012
|Promoted to Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in July 2012.<ref name="marshall">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18881524 |title=North Korea's Kim Jong-un named 'marshal' |date=18 July 2012 |access-date=18 July 2012|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718074405/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18881524 |archive-date=18 July 2012 |work=BBC News}}</ref> 
|}

=== List of Marshals of the Korean People's Army ===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:70%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"
!colspan=3 align="center" width="0"|'''Marshal of the Korean People's Army'''<br /><small>조선인민군 원수</small>
|- style="background:#cccccc"
!colspan=1 align="center" width="0"|Marshal
!colspan=1 align="center" width="0"|Date of promotion
!colspan=1 align="center" width="0"|Notes
|-
|'''[[O Jin-u]]'''<br /><span style="font-size:100%;">오진우</span><br />1917–1995
|20 April 1992
|
|-
|'''[[Choe Kwang]]'''<br /><span style="font-size:100%;">최광</span><br />1918–1997
|8 October 1995
|
|-
|'''[[Ri Ul-sol]]'''<br/>리을설<br>1921–2015
|8 October 1995
|
|-
|'''[[Kim Yong-chun]]'''<br />김영춘<br />1936–2018
|14 April 2016
|
|-
|'''[[Hyon Chol-hae]]'''<br />현철해<br />1934–2022
|14 April 2016
|
|-
|'''[[Ri Pyong-chol]]'''<br />리병철<br />born 1948
|5 October 2020
|
|-
|'''[[Pak Jong-chon]]'''<br />박정천
|5 October 2020 
|Demoted to [[Chasu|Vice Marshal of the Korean People's Army]] in June 2021, and was promoted back at an undisclosed time before September 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |first= |date=31 August 2023 |title=Kim Jong Un visits General Staff Post |url=https://dprktoday.com/abroad/songun/2146?lang=e |website= |publisher=dprktoday}}</ref>
|}

==South Korea==
{{More citations needed section|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox military rank
| name           = {{lang|ko-Latn|Wonsu}}
| native_name    = {{lang|ko|원수|italic=no}}
| image          = SouthKorea-Collar-OF-10.svg
| image_size     = 
| alt            =
| caption        = Insignia
| image2         = 
| image_size2    = 
| alt2           =
| caption2       = 
| image3         = 
| image_size3    = 
| alt3           =
| caption3       = 
| country        = {{flag|South Korea}}
| service branch = {{army|South Korea|name=Army}}<br />{{navy|South Korea|name=Navy}}<br />{{air force|South Korea|name=Air Force}}
| abbreviation   = 
| rank group     = [[General officer]]
| rank           = 
| NATO rank      = 
| Non-NATO rank  = 
| pay grade      = 
| formation      = 
| abolished      = 
| higher rank    = 
| lower rank     = {{lang|ko-Latn|[[Daejang]]}}
| equivalents    = 
| history        = 
}}

'''{{lang|ko-Latn|Wonsu}}''' ({{langx|ko|원수}}), known in English as "General of the Army of the Republic of Korea" or "Admiral of the Fleet of the Republic of Korea", is the highest [[Comparative military ranks of Korea|military rank]] of the [[South Korea|Republic of Korea]] [[Military of South 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 {{lang|ko-Latn|[[Daejang]]}}. As of {{date}}, {{lang|ko-Latn|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 {{lang|ko-Latn|wonsu}} is appointed from the {{lang|ko-Latn|daejang}} who has distinguished achievements. [[Paik Sun-yup]] was considered by the government to be promoted to ''wonsu'' in 2009, but this did not materialize.

The rank insignia for {{lang|ko-Latn|wonsu}} is heavily influenced by United States military insignia of [[General of the Army (United States)|General of the Army]] and [[General of the Air Force]] for Army and Air Force.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Katz |first1=Rodney P. |editor1-last=Savada |editor1-first=Andrea M. |editor2-last=Shaw |editor2-first=William |title=South Korea: a country study |series=Area Handbook |date=1992 |publisher=Library of Congress |location=Washington, D.C. |lccn=91039109 |page=291 |edition=4th  |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/frdcstdy.southkoreacountr00sava_0/?sp=341 |access-date=20 October 2021 |chapter=National Security}}</ref> While the rank insignia for the Navy remains the same the sleeve insignia for a naval officer promoted to the rank is the same sleeve insignia of [[Fleet admiral (United States)|Fleet admiral]] used in the United States Navy.

==Homophone==
Coincidentally, ''wonsu'' is [[auto-antonym|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).<ref>{{harvnb|Sohn|2006|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=H4CsWDEi52IC&pg=PA38 38]}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|North Korea|South Korea}}
*[[Yuan Shuai]], the Chinese equivalent, written identically in [[Hanja]]/[[Hanzi]]
*[[Republic of Korea Armed Forces]]
*[[Korean People's Army]]
*[[Six-star rank]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
* {{citation |last = Sohn |first = Ho-min |author-link=Ho-min Sohn |year = 2006 |title = Korean language in culture and society |publisher = University of Hawaii Press |isbn = 978-0-8248-2694-9}}

{{Highest Military Ranks}}
{{North Korean marshals}}
{{Star officer ranks}}
{{italic title}}

[[Category:Military ranks of South Korea]]
[[Category:Military ranks of North Korea]]
[[Category:Five-star officers]]