Korean Military Ranks - All branches of the South Korean armed forces maintain a single Warrant Officer rank known as Junwi. Warrant Officers fall in between non-commissioned and commissioned officers. The rank is denoted by a gold-colored Sowi insignia and, in the case of the South Korean Navy, a single broken sleeve stripe.
The North Korean military does not maintain any equivalent Warrant Officer positions. In the South Korean armed forces, ranks fall into one of four categories: commissioned officer, warrant officer, non-commissioned officer, and enlisted, in decreasing order of authority.
Korean Military Ranks
Commissioned officer ranks are subdivided into "Janggwan"-level (general) officers, "Yeonggwan"-level (field-grade) officers, and "Wi-gwan"-level (company-grade) officers. The ranks of all three branches (the Army, Navy, and Air Force) of the South Korean Armed Forces share the same titles in Hangul.
Enlisted Ranks
Most ranks of South and North Korea are identical, with some exceptions such as the supreme North Korean ranks. Comparative military ranks of Korea refer to the ranks and insignia maintained by the three primary military powers present on the Korean Peninsula, those being the Republic of Korea Armed Forces (South Korea), the Korean People's Army of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North
Korea), and the military forces of the United States in South Korea. "When Prince William [later King William IV] was at Cork in 1787, an old officer ... dined with him, and happened to say he had been forty years in the service.
The Prince with a sneer asked what he had learned in those forty years. The old gentleman justly offended, said, "Sir, I have learned, when I am no longer fit to fight, to make as good a retreat as I can" — and walked out of the room." - Horace Walpole (1717-1797)
) Both North Korea and South Korea share the same enlisted rank structure among all of their military branches. They also have enlisted ranks called "Corporal" and "Sergeant" in English, but they are not considered non-commissioned officer ranks, although they are treated as one if they hold an NCO position.
Military Rank And Insignia
The following table lists the comparative ranks of the militaries in Korea, including their rank titles and insignia. In this table, the North Korean military rank insignia shown is that of their Army field uniform shoulder boards;
Their parade uniforms and uniforms of other branches use alternative color schemes with the same basic design. The South Korean and U.S. militaries likewise have subdued versions of their insignia in each of their branches. The rank and grade structure of the three services correspond, with minor exceptions, to that of the United States forces, as does the correlation between rank and responsibility.
In peacetime, the army and air force are each commanded by a four-star general; A lieutenant general commands the marines, and an admiral commands the navy. Service uniforms also resemble those of the United States forces in color and style.
Service personnel wear a summer uniform of denim and a winter uniform of wool. Troops in forward areas wear a more expensive padded winter uniform. Noncommissioned officers of the army and air force wear a tunic buttoned to the top;
Officer Ranks
Navy noncommissioned officers wear the United States-type seaman's blouse. Officers' uniforms are similar to those worn by officers of the United States. The shoulder boards and sleeve stripes of American and South Korean ranks apply only to their navies.
Neither the U.S. Marine Corps or ROK Marine Corps maintains a five star "General" rank. North Korea's Korean People's Army does not maintain a separate Marine Corps or naval infantry branch as part of their armed forces, although it does maintain two "Amphibious Sniper Brigades" as part of the North Korean Special Operation Force (NKSOF).
The shoulder boards and sleeve stripes of American and South Korean ranks apply only to their navies. Neither the U.S. Marine Corps or ROK Marine Corps maintains a five star "General" rank. North Korea's People's Army does not maintain a separate marine corps or naval infantry branch as part of their armed forces, although it does maintain two "Amphibious Sniper Brigades" as part of the North Korean Special Operation Force (NKSOF).
North Korean insignia follow the Soviet pattern, while South Korean insignia follow a mix of United States and British rank insignia traditions.
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