| Korea Medal | |
|---|---|
.jpg) .jpg) Obverse and reverse of the medal | |
| Type | Campaign medal |
| Awarded for | Campaign service |
| Description | 36mm diameter disk Cupro-nickel, Canada issue: silver |
| Presented by | Themonarch of Australia,Canada,New Zealand, and theUnited Kingdom .svg)   |
| Eligibility | Australian, British, Canadian, and New Zealand veterans of theKorean War |
| Campaign(s) | Korean War (1950–1953) |
| Clasps | None |
| Status | No longer awarded |
| Established | July 1951 |
 Ribbon of the Korea Medal  Ribbon with bronze oakleaf forMentioned in Despatches | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Dependent on state |
| Next (lower) | Dependent on state |
| Related | United Nations Service Medal for Korea Republic of Korea War Service Medal |
TheKorea Medal (French:Médaille de Corée), sometimes referred to as theQueen's Korea Medal to distinguish it from theUnited Nations Service Medal, is acampaign medal created in 1951 to recognize troops from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom who had given either one day's service in an air sortie overKorea, or 28 days service offshore, during theKorean War.[1] The medal was identical in all countries where it was awarded, except forCanada where it contained unique elements. An award distributed across theCommonwealth, the Korea Medal holds a different place in each country's order of precedence for honours.
The Korean War was the first event in whichUnited Nations (UN) armed forces took on a combat role in suppressing aggression, involving the participation of 20 UN member states, as well asSouth Korea andItaly, ina multinational effort to stop theNorth Korean takeover of South Korea.[1] The Korea Medal was created in 1951 to recognize specifically members of the armed forces fromKing George VI's various states at the time that participated in the Korean War;[2] namely,Australia,Canada,New Zealand, and theUnited Kingdom.[3]South Africa producedits own version of the Korea Medal.[4]
Designed byEdward Carter Preston,[5] the Korea Medal is in the form of a 36 millimetres (1.4 in) diameterdisc. All medals were ofcupro-nickel, except for the Canadian version that was made ofsilver.[4]
On the obverse is aneffigy of Queen Elizabeth II, surrounded by an inscription, symbolizing her roles as bothfount of honour andCommander-in-Chief of her various forces.[6] At the time of the medal's creation, KingGeorge VI was monarch and his effigy was to have appeared on the Korea Medal.[7] However, he died on 6 February 1952 and so the image of his daughter was placed on the obverse of the medal, uncrowned, as per custom for sovereigns prior to theircoronation.
There are three versions of the inscription surrounding the Queen's head:[3]
On the reverse is a depiction ofHercules wrestling theHydra—a symbolic representation ofcommunism—with the wordKOREA below.[9]
The recipient's name, rank and regimental number was impressed on the medal's rim.[3]
This medal is worn on the left chest, suspended from a bar on a 31.8 millimetres (1.25 in) wide ribbon with five vertical stripes in alternating yellow and blue, the latter representing the United Nations.[9] Nobars were awarded. A single bronze oak leaf emblem was issued to signify aMention in Despatches,[9][8] which was worn pinned to the same ribbon from which the medal was hung.[10]
Members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces were granted the Korea Medal for active service in the theatre of theKorean Peninsula between 2 July 1950 and 27 July 1953.[10] To receive the medal, navy personnel were required to complete either 28 days aboard ship in the operational areas of theYellow Sea or theSea of Japan, or at least one day of shore duty; air force personnel needed to complete one operational sortie over the peninsula or the surrounding seas, or meet the same requirements as naval or army personnel; and army personnel must have undertaken a minimum of one day's service on the strength of a unit serving in Korea.[3] Any military members who had made an official visit to the region for a period of no less than 30 days were also eligible for the medal, as were those who had not fulfilled the requirements due to injury or death in combat.[3] In some countries, civilians in theRed Cross,Order of St. John Voluntary Aid Detachment,Salvation Army, orYMCA could receive the Korea Medal, per navy requirements if they served aboard a hospital ship, or per army requirements if they were stationed on land.[11]
Some 15,000 Korea Medals were issued to Canadian personnel, amongst which 33 members of theRoyal Canadian Navy and 248 individuals in theCanadian Army were granted oak leaves to pin to their Korea Medal ribbons.[8]
All persons awarded the Korea Medal also automatically received theUnited Nations Service Medal for Korea.[2] The South Korean government offered to all UN militia theKorean War Service Medal, though regulations at the time did not permit persons from the Commonwealth to accept the decoration; in 2001, Queen Elizabeth II, asQueen of New Zealand, approved the issuance of the Korean War Services Medal to all New Zealanders who had previously received the Korea Medal.[12]
Some orders of precedence are as follows:
| Awards of valour | |
|---|---|
| National orders | |
| Dynastic orders | |
| Provincial orders | |
| Territorial orders | |
| Other decorations and medals | |
| Canadian honours lists | |
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