Dae Wonsu

Dae Wonsu is the highest possible military rank of North Korea and is intended to be held solely by the nation?s commander-in-chief. It is theoretically equivalent to a seven star General, possibly comparable to a 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.

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Since North Korea was founded in 1948, the rank of Dae Wonsu has only been held by two people, those being the North Korean dictators Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. Il-sung first held the rank after declaring himself the "Great Leader" of North Korea, effectively becoming the military dictator of the country at the same time. In April of 1992, Il-sung appointed his son to the special rank of Konghwaguk Wonsu, and promoted Kim Jong-il to become Commander-in-Chief of the North Korean military.

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When Kim Il-sung died in 1994, Kim Jong-il unceremoniously promoted himself to Dae Wonsu, thus becoming the supreme military officer of North Korea. Jong-il however, unlike other military dictators, rarely appears in the military uniform of a Dae Wonsu, preferring instead to adopt a bland day suit reminiscent of Mao Zedong. Jong-il?s military photo, however, may be found in nearly every North Korean military installation.

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The insignia for Dae Wonsu is the same as Wonsu with an added crest worn beneath the Grand Marshal?s star. The rank insignia is based on the now obsolete rank Marshal of the Soviet Union.

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Grand Marshal: A Grand Marshal is a military or political title of the highest magnitude. The following are some usages of the term Grand Marshal...

General of the Armies: In the United States Army military hierarchy, General of the Armies is traditionally considered a rank superior to a five-star general, also known as "General of the Army" (note the difference between the two ranks). The full title of the military rank is "General of the Armies of the United States...

1948: 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar)....