Award
The
United Nations Service Medal Korea
(
UNSMK
) is an
international military decoration
established by the
United Nations
on December 12, 1950 as the
United Nations Service Medal
. The decoration was the first international award ever created by the United Nations and recognized the multi-national defense forces which participated in the
Korean War
.
Criteria
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]
The United Nations Service Medal (Korea) is awarded to any military service member, of an Armed Force allied with
South Korea
, who participated in the defense of South Korea from
North Korea
between June 27th 1950 and July 27th 1954 for a minimum of 30 days.
[3]
The military forces of the
Netherlands
are awarded the medal for service to January 1, 1955, while the armed forces of
Thailand
and
Sweden
grant the award to July 27, 1955.
[1]
International Red Cross personnel engaged for service during the war with any United Nations relief team in Korea were
not
eligible for the medal.
[4]
The ultimate award authority of the United Nations Service Medal is United Nations Commander-in-Chief of military forces in Korea.
[1]
Most countries consider the United Nations Service Medal an automatic decoration, if some other Korean service award was bestowed, and generally award the medal without requesting permission through United Nations channels. For instance, in the
United States Armed Forces
, any service member awarded the
Korean Service Medal
is automatically granted the United Nations Service Medal.
Medal name
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]
On November 22, 1961, the United Nations officially changed the name of the United Nations Service Medal to the
United Nations Service Medal Korea
. This was as a prelude to the creation of many subsequent
United Nations medals
which are awarded for various operations around the world.
The United States and some other countries continue to refer to the medal as the
United Nations Service Medal
in an effort to maintain consistency with past military files referring to the medal by its original name.
Description
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The UN Korea Medal is a 36mm wide circular medal of
bronze
alloy.
[4]
The
obverse
depicts the 'World-in-a Wreath' emblem of the United Nations. The reverse has the inscription:
FOR SERVICE IN DEFENCE OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS
. Each participating country has the text in the most appropriate language, and the inscription may be in any one of the following languages:
[4]
- Amharic
, awarded to personnel from the
Ethiopian Empire
, 5.650 medals issued
- Dutch
, 5.800 medals issued
- English
, awarded to personnel from
Australia
,
Canada
(english-speaking),
Denmark
,
New Zealand
,
Norway
,
Philippines
,
Sweden
,
United Kingdom
,
Union of South Africa
and
United States of America
, 2.760.000 medals issued
- French
, awarded to personnel from
Belgium
,
Canada
(french-speaking),
France
and
Luxembourg
, 16.900 medals awarded
- Greek
, 9.000 medals issued
- Italian
, 135 medals issued
- Korean
, 1.225.000 medals issued
- Spanish
, awarded to personnel from
Colombia
, 1.300 medals issued
- Thai
, 10.650 medals issued
- Turkish
, 33.700 medals issued
- An unknown number of an unofficial copy with inscriptions in
Tagalog
were produced in the
Philippines
for local veterans.
[5]
The medal hangs from a claw attachment on a straight bar suspension. Each medal is worn with a
medal bar
bearing the inscription
KOREA
in the same language as the reverse inscription.
[6]
The medal's ribbon made up of 17
[2]
equal stripes of
United Nations blue
(Bluebird 67117) and white, 9 blue and 8 white, each
5
⁄
64
inch (2.0 mm) wide,
[7]
with the exception of the Turkish medals that were usually worn with a dark red, single colour ribbon, as the standard pale blue and white were too similar to the
Flag of Greece
, considered as a rival country.
[8]
See also
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]
References
[
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]
- ^
a
b
c
"Regulations United Nations Service Medal Korea"
(PDF)
. Australian Government, Department of Defence
. Retrieved
14 November
2012
.
- ^
a
b
Kerrigan, Evans E. (1964). "The Korean War 1950?1953".
American War Medals and Decorations
. New York: The Viking Press. p. 104.
OCLC
702555627
.
- ^
Borts, Lawrence H. (1998).
Medals and Ribbons - The Medals and Ribbons of The United Nations
. Fountain Inn, SC: Medals of America Press. p. 20.
ISBN
1-884452-31-0
.
- ^
a
b
c
Joslin, Litherland and Simpkin.
British Battles and Medals
. p. 270. Published Spink, London. 1988.
- ^
Borts, Lawrence H. (1998).
Medals and Ribbons - The Medals and Ribbons of The United Nations
. Fountain Inn, SC: Medals of America Press. p. 14,15.
ISBN
1-884452-31-0
.
- ^
"United Nations Medals"
. United Nations
. Retrieved
14 November
2012
.
- ^
"United Nations Medals, The Institute of Heraldry"
. Archived from
the original
on 2017-04-15
. Retrieved
2017-04-15
.
- ^
Borts, Lawrence H. (1998).
Medals and Ribbons - The Medals and Ribbons of The United Nations
. Fountain Inn, SC: Medals of America Press. p. 15.
ISBN
1-884452-31-0
.
External links
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]