Taewonsu
Taewonsu (대원수, lit. 'grand marshal') is the highest possible military rank of North Korea and is intended to be an honorific title for Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. It is often confused with Marshal of the Republic and Marshal of the Korean People's Army, but ranks above both.[1] The rank is senior to that of Wonsu. The title also exists in Chinese military history as dàyuánshuài (same Sino-Korean characters 大元帥), and was briefly taken by Sun Yat-sen.[2][3]
Taewonsu
Grand marshal
Rank comparison[edit]
According to rank comparison charts of the United States Forces Korea (USFK), taewonsu is equivalent to a "seven-star general", with the junior ranks of wonsu and chasu listed as six and five stars respectively.[6]
The South Korean armed forces have never made an attempt to declare an equivalent to the wonsu ranks of North Korea, and indeed often deride these ranks as having been created so as to "outrank" the military leaders of other nations, rather than for any necessary purpose of military administration. Even so, the holders of these ranks have commanded one of the largest military forces in the Pan-Asian theater therefore giving some credence to their existence.[7]
Other pronunciations of the characters 大元帥