| Taewonsu Grand marshal | |
|---|---|
 Shoulder boards for the rank oftaewŏnsu | |
| Country |  North Korea |
| Service branch |  Korean People's Army |
| Formation | April 1992 |
| Next higher rank | None |
| Next lower rank | Konghwaguk Wonsu[a] (Marshal of the Republic) |
| Taewonsu | |
| Hangul | 대원수 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 大元帥 |
| RR | daewonsu |
| MR | taewŏnsu |
Taewonsu (Korean: 대원수;lit. grand marshal) is the highest possiblemilitary rank of North Korea and is intended to be an honorific title forKim Il Sung,Kim Jong Il andKim Jong Un. It is often confused withMarshal of the Republic andMarshal of the Korean People's Army, but ranks above both.[1] The rank is senior to that ofWonsu. The title also exists in Chinese military history asdàyuánshuài (same Sino-Korean characters大元帥), and was briefly taken bySun Yat-sen.[2][3]
The rank oftaewonsu was created by a joint decision of theCentral Committee andCentral Military Commission of theWorkers' Party of Korea, theNational Defence Commission and theCentral People's Committee in April 1992 to honorKim Il-sung on his 80th birthday (Day of the Sun). In February 2012, his son and successorKim Jong-il was awarded the title posthumously on the occasion of his official 70th birthday (Day of the Shining Star).[4][5]
The insignia fortaewonsu is similar towonsu but with an added crest worn beneath the shoulder board's large marshal star (and an added crest added to the parade uniform's marshal star worn below the collar), below theEmblem of North Korea. The rank insignia is based on the rank ofGeneralissimo of the Soviet Union.
