Presidential Unit Citation (South Korea)


The Presidential Unit Citation is a military unit award of the government of Republic of Korea that may be presented to South Korean and foreign military units for outstanding performance in defense of the Republic of Korea. In recognition of allied military service to South Korea during the Korean War, all United States military departments were authorized the unit award for that period.
Officially, the South Korean government does not have the term: Presidential Unit Citation. This is the one of Presidential Citations (대통령 표창)' awarded to organizations such as local governments, military units, hospitals, etc.

Appearance and wear

When the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation is worn on the South Korea military uniform, it is as a ribbon wide surrounded by a gold frame. The ribbon is white, with a red above blue Taeguk in the center. At the edge of the ribbon, on each side, are the following stripes: Hunter Green; White; Old Glory Red; white; Old Glory Red; white; Hunter Green. No ribbon devices are authorized for wear with this award, although a bronze service star on the ribbon can be observed on several portraits of Korean War veterans from the U.S. Armed Forces.

Smaller version

Foreign military unit members who are authorized to wear the award either wear the award on the right side of the uniform with any other same-sized unit award emblems or wear the slightly smaller-sized version of the award on the left side of the uniform with their other service ribbons.

Notable recipients

Post-Korean War

Korean War

  • 1st Marine Division (Reinforced) for operations from 26 October 1950 to 27 July 1953, including the Inchon landing, Second Battle of Seoul and Battle of Chosin Reservoir
  • 58th Engineer Treadway Bridge Company for its bridge-building efforts with the X Corps at the Chosin Reservoir and the Inchon landing in 1950.
  • 7th Infantry Division three times. The first was for service at Inchon, the second for service during the period of 1950–1953, and finally for deployment to the Korean Peninsula from 1945 to 1948 and from 1953 to 1971.
  • The French Battalion of the UNO under the operational control of the 23rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, 2nd U.S. Infantry Division receive two times the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.
  • One Italian unit, the "Ospedale da Campo n° 68" of "Corpo Militare della Croce Rossa Italiana", was awarded this battle honour twice: October 6, 1952, and December 30, 1954.
  • One Turkish unit, Turkish Brigade, which repulsed a Chinese force three times its size during the battle of Kumyangjang-Ni of the Korean War, was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation from the President of Korea on July 11, 1951.
  • The U.S. Army's 65th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division was awarded this battle honor twice during the Korean War. The first was for service in the Uijongbu Corridor in June 1951. The second was for service in the Iron Triangle at Hill 717 in July 1951.
  • One South African unit, the 2 Squadron SAAF was also awarded this battle honour. It was presented on November 1, 1951. It reads "This unit was dispatched from South Africa in support of the United Nations Forces in Korea. It was equipped with P-51 aircraft and has functioned continually in support of operations of the Eighth Army. Through all gallantry and devotion to duty of its personnel it has earned high praise and its losses in pilots have been heavy. It continued to meet cheerfully all tasks allotted to it, and gives a higher performance than is normally expected."
  • 16 Field Regiment of the Royal New Zealand Artillery.
  • A Dutch battalion embedded into the US 2nd Infantry Division was awarded the U.S. Presidential Unit Citation in February 1951, for the capture of Hill 325, north of Manjong Station. The under-strength A Company, reinforced by personnel from B and heavy weapons companies, was ordered to recapture Hill 325 on 15 February 1951. At 0230 hrs the next morning, the Dutch were beaten back by heavy machine gun fire; at 0345 hrs, they tried again and this time advanced to within 300 meters of the crest before again being repulsed. Just before dawn, the exhausted Dutch, their ammunition almost expended, fixed bayonets and, shouting their battle cry, gained their objective. For these actions the Van Heutsz received its first U.S. Presidential Unit Citation. This came at a cost, however, as the battalion had suffered over a hundred casualties.
  • 17th Bombardment Wing, Light
  • The Greek Expeditionary Force as part of the United Nations multinational forces.
  • NORMASH
  • Danish Hospitalship MS Jutlandia received the Citation twice, 27 March 1952, 27 August 1954