Taewonsu
 |
Tae Wonsu (대원수, Hanja:大元帥) is the highest possible military rank of North Korea and is intended to be held solely by the nation’s commander-in-chief. The rank is senior to that of Wonsu. Dae Wonsu is theoretically equivalent to a seven star General, possibly comparable to a Generalissimo, Grand Marshal or the American rank of General of the Armies (though that is normally considered a six star rank). However in reality the holders of this rank command smaller forces than some commanders from larger countries who have made no claim to such an uncommonly exalted rank. Many South Koreans deride the rank as having been created so as to "out rank" the military leaders of any other nation, rather than for any necessary purpose of military administration.
The rank of Grand Marshal was created by a joint decision of the KWP Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, the National Defense Commission and the Central People's Committee in April 1992 to honor Kim Il Sung on his 80th birthday. To date (2001), Kim Il Sung remains the only Grand Marshal in the history of North Korea. Won-su, Kim Jong-il's official marshal title is "Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," and the official title for other army marshals is "Marshal of the Korean People's Army." The insignia for Tae Wonsu is similar to Won-su with an added crest worn beneath the shoulder board's large star (and an added crest added to the parade uniform's marshal star worn below the collar). The rank insignia is based on the now obsolete rank Generalissimo of the Soviet Union.
