Order of the National Flag

The Order of the National Flag was established on October 12, 1948, shortly after North Korea declared its statehood. It was designed to recognize exceptional deeds in building the military and defending the state. It was created in three classes to rank different levels of achievement.

During the Korean War, it became the most common major order presented to senior commanders, heroic units, and wartime contributors. Early Soviet-made badges used screwbacks and real silver, but later versions were made locally with pinbacks and lighter alloys.

In later decades, the order expanded beyond the battlefield to honor long political service and major government construction projects, but it remains one of the military's most respected orders.