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The Transitional History of the Korean Naval Officer’s Rank Insignia: Focused on Metal Grade Insignia

신성재 1

1해군사관학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Rank insignia means a symbol that, attached to military uniform or cap, and shows soldier’s status and rank. This article examines the transition of metal grade insignia especially. Design features of periodical changes in the insignia are summed as follows. First, the rank insignia in early period was designed Taeguk symbol at the center of the bases of Mugunghwa pattern. This insignia had been used during the period from February 1 1946 to November 30. The insignia borrowed the retaining button of police officer’s cap in the National Security Guard temporarily, which indicated the limits that the navy failed to establish its independent rank insignia. During the transition period, the rank insignia of the Korean navy reflected its original characteristics. Of course, the star-shape rank insignia of flag officers was influenced by that of the US Navy. Unlike this, the rank insignias of officers below flag grade were manufactured following the tortoise shell shape that symbolized the armor protecting the rooftop of the turtle ship. It meant the birth of Korean navy’s original rank insignia with independent and distinctive characteristics since the insignia was granted with the symbolic significance that the navy was the posterity of Admiral Yi Sunshin. In the settlement period, the Korean naval officer’s rank insignia was revised to the triservice common insignia. The Ministry of Defense began to commonize rank insignia in 1953 and adopted diamond(Company grade officer), bamboo leaf(field grade officer), and star(flag officer) designs. These designs represented the gradually escalating ranks in terms of the natural world; they also meant that individual rank insignias of each branch of the armed forces became a triservice common system. The common insignia was in use between May 1954 and August 1975. In September 1975, naval officer’s rank insignia went through a partial revision. It was because the star-shape rank insignia of flag officers was identical to that of foreign armed forces and thus lacked originality. Therefore, Mugunghwa and its leaves were added to the insignia as the flower reflected Korean character. This design was expanded to the entire officer ranks in January 1980. The application of the design that symbolized Korea to the entire officer’s rank insignia meant the complete establishment of naval officer’s rank insignia system as the design demonstrated clearly the national identity. This complete rank insignia system continues today, making itself the core symbol of the identity of officers of the navy and the Korean armed forces.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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