The Order of Kim Il Sung () is the highest order of North Korea, along with the

Order of Kim Jong Il The Order of Kim Jong Il () is a North Korean order named after Kim Jong Il, the former leader of North Korea. It is the highest order of North Korea, along with the Order of Kim Il-Sung, and only second to one honorary title, the Hero of Labour ...

, and only second to one honorary title, the

Hero of Labour The Hero of Socialist Labour (russian: links=no, Герой Социалистического Труда, Geroy Sotsialisticheskogo Truda) was an honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It repre ...

. The order, named after the country's first leader

Kim Il Sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...

, was instituted in 1972 during a reform of the North Korean honors system. Its history is not fully known, but the order was initially round, being changed to a five-pointed star design later, and the picture of Kim Il Sung updated in 2012. Recipients can be individuals or organizations, who have contributed to the cause of

communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

. It is traditionally awarded on 15 April, the

Day of the Sun The Day of the Sun () is an annual public holiday in North Korea on 15 April, the birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung, founder and Eternal President of North Korea. It is the most important national holiday in the country, and is considered to b ...

, the birthday of Kim Il Sung. Relatively few are awarded, totaling at least 600, to highlight the high symbolic status of the order. Recipients include

Kim Jong Il Kim Jong-il (; ; ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;, 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim ...

, who received it four times. He was supposed to be the recipient of the first award in 1972, but according to North Korean sources, he initially refused.

History

The North Korean system of orders and medals saw periods of expansion and stagnation through the 1950s and 1960s, but in the early 1970s, major additions were made. Of these, the most important one was the addition of the Order of Kim Il Sung to the list of titles. The order was instituted on 20 March 1972 on the occasion of the 60th

birthday of Kim Il-sung The Day of the Sun () is an annual Public holidays in North Korea, public holiday in North Korea on 15 April, the birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung, founder and Eternal President of North Korea. It is the most important national holiday in the ...

. At about the same time, North Korea also started awarding watches with Kim Il Sung's autograph on them. According to North Korean sources, the idea for the Order of Kim Il Sung originated with

. Likewise, it is claimed that Kim Jong Il was to be the first recipient of the order, but he declined it and received the honor only in 1979. In 2012, all orders bearing the picture of Kim Il Sung, including the Order of Kim Il Sung, were redesigned with a newer picture of Kim. At some point before that, the order had become a five-pointed star, being formerly round. It is possible that all old versions were recalled and changed to the new one. The Order of Kim Il Sung is similar in appearance to the Soviet

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration b ...

. Uniquely, the Order of Kim Il Sung was the only state order named after a living ruler from its inception until the establishment of the .

Eligibility

The order is traditionally awarded annually on 15 April, the birthday of Kim Il Sung. It is awarded for "outstanding services to the Republic of the Korean nation and communism". Out of all North Korean orders, it is awarded the most sparingly, reflecting its high symbolic status. At least 600 have been awarded.

Precedence

The order is the highest of the order of North Korea, along with the

, although out of titles the

is considered higher. The

Order of the National Flag The Order of the National Flag () is the second highest order of North Korea, after the Order of Kim Il-sung and the Order of Kim Jong-il. It is the oldest order in the country, having been established in 1948, just six weeks after the North ...

is one rank lower. There are related prizes called the Kim Il Sung Prize, as well as prizes for youth and children.

Recipients

* Pyongyang Electric Locomotive Factory (1972) *

Kim Gwang-jin Kim Gwang-jin (born 30 August 1956) is a North Korean gymnast Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved ...

(twice: December 1978 and April 1985) *

(four times: 3 April 1979, 7 April 1982, 7 April 1992, and 29 March 2012) * Paek In-jun (May 1980) *

Kim Jung-rin Kim Jung-rin () (7 December 1923 – 28 April 2010) was a North Korean politician who was an alternate member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, as well as a member of the Politburo and party secretary. ...

(1982) *

Kim Il-chol Kim Il-chol (, born 1933) is a former member of the North Korean National Defence Commission and former Minister for Defence. He was born in Pyongyang in 1933. He graduated from Mangyongdae Revolutionary School and the "Soviet Union Naval Aca ...

(4 February 1982) * Kang Seok-ju (twice: April 1982 and April 1992) * Kim Ki-nam (twice: April 1982 and April 1992) *

Kim Tu-nam Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese f ...

(twice: April 1982 and April 1992) *

O Kuk-ryol O Kuk-ryol (, born 7 January 1930) is a North Korean military general who served as Vice Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, as head of the Operations Department from April 2009 to June 2016. The son of O Jung-song and n ...

(twice: April 1982 and April 1992) *

Choe Yong-rim Choe Yong-rim (, born 20 November 1930) is a North Korean politician who served as the Premier of North Korea from June 2010 to April 2013 and was a member of the 6th Presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea.

(April 1982) *

Jo Myong-rok Jo Myong-lok (12 July 1928 – 6 November 2010) was a North Korean military officer who held the military rank Chasu (Vice Marshal). In 1998, he was appointed First Vice-Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, Director ...

(April 1982) *

Jon Pyong-ho Jon Pyong-ho (, 20 March 1926 – 7 July 2014) was a North Korean officer and politician who served as the Chief Secretary of the Korean Workers Party (KWP) Committee of the North Korean Cabinet, and director of the DPRK Cabinet Political Burea ...

(April 1982) *

Jong Chang-ryol Jong Chang-ryol ( ko, 정창렬, born 1923) is a North Korean general and politician. He was the Vice-Minister of the People's Armed Forces Department, the Chief of the People's Army, and member of the 12th convocation of the Supreme People's ...

(April 1982) *

Kang Sok-ju Kang Sok-ju ( ko, 강석주; ; August 29, 1939 – May 20, 2016
on

(April 1992) *Kim Kyung-ok (April 1992) *Lee Joo-hyon (April 1992) *

Kim Sung-ae Kim Song-ae (; born Kim Song-pal; 29 December 1924 – September 2014) was a North Korean politician who served as the first lady of North Korea from 1963 to 1974. She was the second wife of North Korea's founder, Kim Il-sung. Biography Born Kim ...

(April 1982) *

O Jin-u O Jin-u (March 8, 1917 – February 25, 1995) was a North Korean general and politician. He served with Kim Il-sung's partisan unit and eventually rose through the ranks of the North Korean Army. He distinguished himself during the Korean War an ...

(April 1982) *

Paek Hak-rim Paek Hak-rim (October 1918 – October 5, 2006) was the Deputy Director of the North Korean Ministry of Public Security. He occupied a number of high-ranking positions, including serving from 1998 to 2003 on the National Defense Commission. He ...

(April 1982) *

Kim Bok-shin Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese f ...

(1982) *Mang Dong-sop (February 1990) * Pak Nam-gi (twice: April 1985 and April 1992) *

Ri Tu-ik Ri Tu-ik ( ko, 리두익/李斗益; born 1921 in Jilin, China - died March 13, 2002, in Pyongyang) was a North Korean politician of the Workers' Party of Korea and Vice-Marshal of the Korean People's Army, who was a member of the Central Military ...

(April 1982) * Kim Chung-il (twice: April 1987 and April 1992) *Kim Hak-in (April 1992) *Kim Hyung-guk (April 1992) *

Jang Sung-taek Jang Song-thaek (January or February 1946 – 12 December 2013) was a leading figure in the government of North Korea. He was married to Kim Kyong-hui, the only daughter of North Korean Premier Kim Il-sung and his first wife Kim Jong-suk, and o ...

(April 1992) * Kang Hyeon-su (April 1992) * Choe Song-su (October 1995) *

Korean Central News Agency The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) is the state news agency of North Korea. The agency portrays the views of the North Korean government for both domestic and foreign consumption. It was established on December 5, 1946 and now features onlin ...

(three times: unknown dates and 5 December 1996) *Chang Chong-ho (October 2000) *Lee Hak-soo (April 2002) *Park In-ryong (April 2002) *Ryu Ryong-gu (April 2002) *Park Yong-go (April 2003) * Ryo Won-gu (April 2007) * Kim Man-sik (2010) *

Han Duk-su Han Deok-su (1907–2001) founded the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, * Chollima Steel Complex * Jin Pong-jun *

Kim Rak-hui Kim Rak-hui (, 11 November 1933 – February 2013) was a North Korean politician. Kim worked in the agricultural and cooperatives section for most of her working life. During the Korean War, her efforts in rationing caught the attention of Kim I ...

Kim Yong-sun Kim Yong-sun (1934 – 26 October 2003) was a North Korean politician. At the time of his death, he was vice-chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland. He was reported to have been killed in a car accident. He a ...

* *

Paek Jong-muk Baek (), also often spelled Paek, Baik, Paik is a Korean family name. In the year 2000, there were 351,275 people with this surname in South Korea. The word means the color white. Baek (白) "白" has a Cantonese origin from the Yuan dynasty an ...

* Pyongyang Kim Jong-suk Textile Mill *

Ri Jong-ok Ri Jong-ok (10 January 1916 – 23 September 1999) was a North Korean politician who served as the Premier of North Korea from 1977 to 1984. He was elected to the Presidium at the 6th WPK Congress in 1980. He was appointed as Vice President o ...

* Ro Ik-hwa (sculptor) *

Ryu Mi-yong Ryu Mi-yong (14 February 1921 – 23 November 2016) was the chairwoman of the North Korean Chondoist Chongu Party. She was a standing committee member of the 10th Supreme People's Assembly. She was known as a South Korean defectors, defector fro ...

Yon Hyong-muk Yon Hyong-muk, also spelt Yong Hyong-muk (November 3, 1931 – October 22, 2005), was a long-serving politician in North Korea and at the height of his career the most powerful person in that country outside the Kim family. He was Prime Ministe ...

Kim Il Sung University Kim Il-sung University, founded on 1 October 1946, is the first university built in North Korea. It is located on a campus in Pyongyang, the nation's capital. Along with the main academic buildings, the campus contains 10 separate offices, 50 l ...

Pyongyang University of Music and Dance The Pyongyang University of Music and Dance is a North Korean performing arts university founded in July 1972 in the Taedonggang District of Pyongyang from a merge with the Pyongyang Art College. Its facilities include a full orchestra and a musi ...

(1989) *

Kigwancha Sports Club Kigwancha Sports Club or Kigwancha Sports Team (; ), known as Sinuiju Locomotive Sports Club is a North Korean multi-sports club belonging to the Korean State Railway and based in Sinuiju. It was established on 11 January 1956, and has been awar ...

* Ri Yong-suk * Kim Yong Ju *

Kang Ki-sop Kang Ki-sop (, died 2017) was a North Korean politician. He was the Director of North Korea's General Administration of Civil Aviation, and was an alternate member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. He died in January 2017. ...

References

Works cited

* *

History

Eligibility

Precedence

Recipients

See also

References

Works cited

Further reading