CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS
The purpose of this Decree is to prescribe matters regarding commendations conferred by government agencies.
| Article 2 (Principles of commendation) |
| (1) | A commendation shall be conferred to a person who has rendered meritorious service to the Republic of Korea or who has achieved outstanding results in training programs, sports, contests, or similar activities. |
| (2) | No person shall be awarded a commendation more than once for the same meritorious service or the same achievement. |
CHAPTER II TYPES AND REQUIREMENTS OF COMMENDATIONS
| Article 3 (Types of commendations) |
Commendations shall be classified into commendations for meritorious service (hereinafter referred to as “award for merit”) and commendations for achievements (hereinafter referred to as “achievement award”), and the respective grade of decoration (referring to the grades of orders, medals, etc., based on distinguished service; hereinafter the same shall apply) shall be determined according to the following classifications: <Amended on Jan. 5, 2021>
| 1. | Award for merit: Presidential Citation, Prime Minister's Citation, and Agency Head’s Citation; |
| 2. | Achievement award: Presidential Achievement Award, Prime Minister's Achievement Award, and Agency Head’s Achievement Award. |
| Article 4 (Requirements for award for merit) |
An award for merit shall be conferred in any of the following cases:
| 1. | Where a person has faithfully performed his or her duties or actively cooperated in the performance of administrative affairs, thereby contributing to the development of the State or society; |
| 2. | Where a person has protected the lives, bodies, or property of the people, or contributed to the enhancement of public welfare by making personal sacrifices or through dedicated volunteer service; |
| 3. | Where a person has presented creative ideas or inventions to promote administrative efficiency, cost-effectiveness, or innovation in work practices, or to contribute to the improvement of the quality of services provided to the public; |
| 4. | Where a person has enhanced the honor and prestige of the State. |
| Article 5 (Requirements for achievement award) |
An achievement award shall be conferred in any of the following cases:
| 1. | Where a person has achieved outstanding results in various training programs conducted by government agencies; |
| 2. | Where a person has achieved outstanding results in various competitions or contests hosted by government agencies or local governments. |
CHAPTER III COMMENDATIONS BY THE PRESIDENT OR THE PRIME MINISTER
| Article 6 (Recommending authority) |
| Article 7 (Consultation on necessity of commendation) |
The recommending authority shall, when intending to make a recommendation, have a prior consultation with the Minister of the Interior and Safety on the necessity, scale, and timing of the commendation, etc. <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017>
| Article 8 (Recommendation procedure) |
| (1) | The recommending authority shall, when making a recommendation, submit to the Minister of the Interior and Safety a written statement of merits, according to the following classifications (including an electronic document), no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled date of commendation, after undergoing deliberation by the Merits Review Committee under Article 2 (1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Awards and Decorations Act (hereinafter referred to as the “Enforcement Decree” and the “Merits Review Committee,” respectively); provided, the deliberation by the Merits Review Committee may be omitted in the case of a recommendation for an achievement award, and where the person nominated for commendation is not a citizen or organization of the Republic of Korea, a written statement of merits in English, in the same format, shall be attached: <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| 1. | Award for merit: A written statement of merits in Form 1; |
| 2. | Achievement award: A written statement of merits in Form 2. |
| (2) | When the recommending authority intends to recommend a commendation for a public official not affiliated with his or her own organization, he or she shall obtain the consent of the head of the agency to which the public official belongs; provided, if the person to be recommended for commendation is a foreign military member, prior consultation shall be made with the Minister of National Defense; and if the person to be recommended for commendation is a non-military foreign national, prior consultation shall be made with the Minister of Foreign Affairs. |
| (3) | If necessary for the merit review of a person to be recommended for commendation, the recommending authority may, with the consent of the relevant person, request the head of the agency holding such information to provide the person's criminal history and other necessary information in accordance with relevant statutes or regulations. |
| Article 9 (Finalization of commendation) |
The Minister of the Interior and Safety shall obtain approval from the President or the Prime Minister (hereinafter referred to as the "awarding authority") for each person nominated for commendation by the recommending authority; provided, if a government achievement award plan, including the scale of award and the grade of decoration, is established in advance and approved by the awarding authority, approval for individual recipients under the plan may be omitted. <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017>
| Article 10 (Publication of commendations) |
Where a commendation is finalized under Article 9, the recommending authority shall publish the recipient and the reason for the commendation in the Official Gazette within 60 days from the date of finalization; provided, matters falling under any subparagraph of Article 9 (1) of the Official Information Disclosure Act may be excluded.
| Article 11 (Method of commendation) |
| (1) | When awarding a commendation, a commendation certificate or an award certificate shall be conferred according to the following classifications: |
| a. | Presidential Citation: A commendation certificate in Form 3; |
| b. | Prime Minister’s Citation: A commendation certificate in Form 4; |
| a. | Presidential Achievement Award: An award certificate in Form 5; |
| b. | Prime Minister’s Achievement Award: An award certificate in Form 6. |
| (2) | When a commendation certificate under paragraph (1) 1 is conferred, a recipient who is an individual shall be awarded a ribbon decoration as prescribed in Appendix 1 (referring to a ribbon and badge conferred as part of an award for merit; hereinafter the same shall apply), and a recipient that is an organization shall be awarded a ribbon decoration as prescribed in Appendix 2 (referring to a flag in the form of a ribbon conferred as part of an award for merit; hereinafter the same shall apply), together with the commendation certificate. <Amended on Jan. 5, 2021> |
| (3) | A plaque or an additional prize in the form of goods or money may also be conferred together with a commendation. |
| Article 12 (Conferment and delegation of commendations) |
| (1) | A commendation shall be conferred directly by the awarding authority; provided, if the awarding authority is unable to confer it in person due to unavoidable circumstances, the commendation may be presented by a delegate. |
| (2) | With respect to agencies that present commendations on behalf of the awarding authority, Article 18 of the Enforcement Decree of the Act shall apply mutatis mutandis. |
| Article 13 (Receipt by or delivery to surviving family members or representatives) |
If the person to be commended is deceased or unable to receive the commendation due to an accident, his or her surviving family members or representatives may receive the commendation on his or her behalf. In such cases, Article 20 of the Enforcement Decree shall apply mutatis mutandis to matters concerning the verification of surviving family members or representatives, the order of precedence among surviving family members eligible to receive the commendation, the record and non-delivery of the commendation where no surviving family member exists, and the method of delivery of the commendation.
| Article 14 (Wearing of ribbon decorations and ribbon banners) |
| (1) | A ribbon decoration shall be worn only by the recipient of the commendation and shall be attached to the right side of the chest. In such cases, when 2 or more ribbon decorations are worn together, different types of ribbon decorations shall be arranged in the order of Presidential and then Prime Ministerial commendation decorations; and ribbon decorations of the same type shall be arranged from the inside in the order in which they were conferred. |
| (2) | A flag decoration shall be attached between the flagpole and the flag cloth of the organization’s flag. In such cases, when 2 or more flag decorations are displayed together, different types of flag decorations shall be arranged in the order of Presidential and then Prime Ministerial commendation flag decorations; and flag decorations of the same type shall be arranged from the top in the order in which they were received. |
| (3) | Except as provided in this Decree, Article 34 of the Act and Article 21 of the Enforcement Decree of the Act shall apply mutatis mutandis to the wearing and timing of ribbon decorations. |
| Article 15 (Indication of receipt of commendation) |
A recipient of a commendation (excluding those whose commendation has been revoked under Article 19) may indicate the fact of having received the commendation on business cards, printed materials, or similar items.
| Article 16 (Issuance of certificate of conferment of commendation) |
| (1) | A commendation certificate or an award certificate shall not be reissued; provided, the Minister of the Interior and Safety may issue a certificate of conferment of commendation or award upon application by the recipient of a commendation, a surviving family member, or a representative. <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| (2) | Where an individual intends to obtain a certificate of conferment of commendation or award under the proviso of paragraph (1), he or she shall submit to the Minister of the Interior and Safety an application in Form 7 (including an electronic document), along with the documents classified as follows: <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| 1. | Where the recipient of a commendation or award applies: 1 copy of his or her identification card; |
| 2. | Where a surviving family member of the recipient of a commendation or award applies; |
| a. | One copy of the applicant's identification card; |
| b. | One copy of the archived family relation register of the recipient of a commendation or award; |
| 3. | Where a representative of the recipient of a commendation or award applies; |
| a. | One copy of a power of attorney; |
| b. | One copy of the identification card of the recipient of a commendation or award; |
| c. | One copy of the identification card of the representative. |
| (3) | Where an agency or organization intends to obtain a certificate of conferment of commendation or award under the proviso of paragraph (1), it shall submit to the Minister of the Interior and Safety an application in Form 8 (including an electronic document), together with the documents as classified in the following subparagraphs: <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| 1. | Where a representative of a recipient of a commendation or award applies; |
| a. | One copy of the representative's identification card; |
| b. | A document certifying the establishment of the agency or organization that received a commendation or award (applicable only where it is not a corporation); |
| 2. | Where a representative of a recipient of a commendation or award applies on behalf the recipient; |
| a. | One copy of a power of attorney; |
| b. | One copy of the identification card of the representative of the agency or organization that received a commendation or award; |
| c. | One copy of the identification card of the representative; |
| d. | Documents certifying the establishment of the agency or organization that received a commendation or award (applicable only where it is not a corporation). |
| (4) | The Minister of the Interior and Safety, upon receipt of the application under paragraph (3), shall verify a certified copy of the corporate registration (referring to a copy or abstract of the resident registration record card of the representative if the applicant is not a corporation) through administrative data matching under Article 36 (1) of the Electronic Government Act; provided, if the applicant does not consent to such verification of the resident registration record cards, he or she shall submit the relevant documents in person. <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| (5) | Upon receipt of an application under paragraph (2) or (3), the Minister of the Interior and Safety shall, after verifying the fact of conferment of commendation or award, issue a certificate of conferment in Form 9 or 10 to the applicant within 7 days from the date of application. <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| Article 17 (Reissuance of ribbon decoration) |
| (1) | If a ribbon decoration or ribbon banner is lost or damaged, the recipient of the commendation may receive a new one for a fee. |
| (2) | A person who intends to be reissued a ribbon decoration under paragraph (1) shall submit an application in Form 11 (including an application in electronic form), along with the documents classified under the subparagraphs of Article 16 (2), to the Minister of the Interior and Safety. <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| (3) | A person who intends to be reissued a ribbon banner under paragraph (1) shall submit an application in Form 12 (including an application in electronic form), along with the documents classified under the subparagraphs of Article 16 (3), to the Minister of the Interior and Safety. <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| (4) | The cost of producing a ribbon decoration or ribbon banner under paragraph (1) shall be paid directly by the applicant to the producer designated by the Minister of the Interior and Safety; provided, if the recipient of the commendation is the President, a foreign head of state and his or her spouse, or a foreign national, the cost may be borne by the National Treasury. <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| Article 18 (Procedures for revocation of commendation) |
| (1) | When any of the grounds under the subparagraphs of Article 8 (1) of the Act arises with respect to a recipient of a commendation (referring to the grounds falling under subparagraph 1 of that paragraph, in the case of a recipient of an achievement award; hereafter in this Article the same shall apply), the recommending authority shall, following a review by the Merits Review Committee (except where the ground corresponds to subparagraph 1 of that paragraph, in which case the review may be omitted), request the Minister of the Interior and Safety to take measures necessary to revoke the commendation. In such cases, the Minister of the Interior and Safety shall request the awarding authority to revoke the commendation, unless there is a compelling reason not to do so. <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| (2) | When any of the grounds under the subparagraphs of Article 8 (1) of the Act arises with respect to a recipient of a commendation, the Minister of the Interior and Safety may request the awarding authority to revoke the commendation, even if the recommending authority does not request such revocation under the former part of paragraph (1). <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| Article 19 (Revocation of commendation) |
Upon receiving a request for the revocation of a commendation under Article 18, the awarding authority shall revoke the commendation if the recipient falls under any of the subparagraphs of Article 8 (1) of the Act, and shall revoke the achievement award if the recipient falls under Article 8 (1) 1 of the Act.
| Article 20 (Announcement of revocation of commendation) |
If a commendation is revoked under Article 19, the recommending authority shall publish the name of the recipient and the reason for the revocation in the Official Gazette within 60 days from the date of revocation; provided, that matters falling under any of the subparagraphs of Article 9 (1) of the Official Information Disclosure Act may be excluded.
| Article 21 (Retrieval of commendations) |
| (1) | The Minister of the Interior and Safety shall retrieve a commendation certificate, an award certificate, a ribbon decoration, or a ribbon banner, and any medals, articles, or monetary prizes conferred in relation thereto (hereinafter referred to as "commendation, etc.") from any person whose commendation has been revoked. In such cases, the recommending authority shall cooperate with the Minister to ensure the smooth retrieval of the commendation, etc. <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| (2) | A person whose commendation has been revoked shall return the commendation, etc. within 10 days upon request from the Minister of the Interior and Safety or the recommending authority, unless there is a compelling reason not to do so. <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
CHAPTER IV COMMENDATIONS FROM AGENCIES OF VARIOUS LEVELS
| Article 22 (Finalization of commendations by agencies of various levels) |
Commendations conferred by government agencies other than the President or the Prime Minister (hereinafter referred to as "agencies of various levels") shall be determined by the heads of agencies of various levels following a merit review under Article 23.
| Article 23 (Merit review) |
| (1) | To review the merits of prospective recipients of commendation, a Merits Review Committee (hereinafter referred to as the "Agency Merits Review Committee") shall be established under the jurisdiction of the heads of agencies of various levels. |
| (2) | The Agency Merits Review Committee shall be composed of not fewer than 6 but not more than 11 members, including 1 chairperson, and the members shall be appointed or commissioned by the heads of agencies of various levels, taking gender balance into consideration. |
| (3) | The heads of agencies of various levels shall review the merits of a prospective recipient of a commendation based on the written statement of merits through the Agency Merits Review Committee. |
| Article 24 (Application mutatis mutandis) |
With respect to commendations conferred by agencies of various levels, Articles 11 (excluding paragraph (2)), 13, and 16 shall apply mutatis mutandis; provided, if the head of the agencies of various levels deems it necessary, the specification of a commendation certificate and an award certificate under Article 11 (1) may be determined differently. <Amended on Apr. 30, 2024>
CHAPTER V SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS
| Article 25 (Special cases concerning wartime) |
| (1) | In unavoidable circumstances during wartime or an equivalent state of emergency, the Minister of National Defense may, on behalf of the awarding authority, confer a Presidential Citation or Prime Minister’s Citation without undergoing the consultation, recommendation, and approval procedures under Articles 7 through 9. |
| (2) | When the Minister of National Defense is unable to personally confer a commendation on behalf of the awarding authority under paragraph (1), the Minister may delegate such authority to the Chief of Staff of each armed force, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, a Commander of a military force, a Corps Commander, or a Division Commander. |
| (3) | A person who intends to confer a commendation on behalf of the awarding authority under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall request such delegated conferment from the Minister of the Interior and Safety at least 3 days prior to the scheduled date of conferment. <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| (4) | If a commendation is conferred on behalf of the awarding authority under paragraphs (1) and (2), the person who confers the commendation shall, without delay, submit the details of the relevant merits to the Minister of the Interior and Safety, and the Minister shall obtain approval from the awarding authority. <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| Article 26 (Keeping of records) |
| (1) | The Minister of the Interior and Safety and the head of the agencies of various levels shall prepare and manage a register of commendation recipients. <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
| (2) | The register under paragraph (1) shall be prepared and managed in a manner that enables electronic processing, unless there is a compelling reason not to do so. |
| Article 27 (Processing of personally identifiable information) |
| 1. | Recommendation for commendation and merit review under Article 8 or 23; |
| 2. | Issuance of a certificate of conferment of commendation, etc. under Article 16; |
| 3. | Reissuance of a ribbon decoration, etc. under Article 17; |
| 4. | Revocation of commendation and retrieval of commendation, etc. under Articles 18 through 21. |
| (2) | If it is unavoidable for the performance of business affairs regarding the revocation of commendation and the retrieval of commendation, etc. under Articles 18 through 21, the Minister of the Interior and Safety or the recommending authority may request the heads of relevant administrative agencies to take the following measures: <Amended on Jul. 26, 2017> |
ADDENDA <Presidential Decree No. 27592, Nov. 22, 2016>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.
Article 2 (Applicability to publication of commendation)
The amended provisions of Article 10 shall begin to apply to cases where a commendation is finalized after this Decree enters into force. Article 3 (Applicability to revocation and retrieval of commendation)
The amended provisions of Articles 18 through 21 shall also apply where a commendation was received before the enforcement of this Decree; provided, the revocation and retrieval of a commendation on the grounds prescribed in Article 8 (1) 2 and 3 of the Awards and Decorations Act shall begin to apply where a recipient of a commendation commits an offense under those subparagraphs after this Decree enters into force. Article 4 (Transitional measures concerning commendation)
| (1) | A commendation received before the enforcement of this Decree (including a commendation under Article 2 of the Addenda to Presidential Decree No. 4465, Partial Amendment to Government Commendation Regulations) shall be deemed a commendation under this Decree only if it was conferred by the awarding authority or the head of the agencies of various levels under this Decree. |
| (2) | Presidential commendation ribbon decorations for individuals and Presidential commendation ribbon banners for organizations conferred under the previous format before January 23, 1984, the date of enforcement of Presidential Decree No. 11337, Partial Amendment to the Government Commendation Regulations, shall be deemed to have been conferred under this Decree. |
Article 5 (Transitional measures concerning wearing of former ribbon decorations and ribbon banners)
A Presidential commendation ribbon decoration for an organization conferred before December 19, 1969, the date of enforcement of Presidential Decree No. 4465, Partial Amendment to the Government Commendation Regulations, may not be worn.
Article 6 (Relationship to other statutes and regulations)
If, at the time of enforcement of this Decree, another statute or regulation refers to the previous Government Commendation Regulations or any provision thereof, and a corresponding provision exists in this Decree, such reference shall be deemed to refer to this Decree or the corresponding provision of this Decree.
ADDENDA <Presidential Decree No. 28211, Jul. 26, 2017>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation; provided, among the Presidential Decrees amended under Article 8 of the Addenda, the amended provisions of any Presidential Decree that was promulgated before the enforcement of this Decree but whose effective date has not yet arrived shall enter into force on the enforcement date of the respective Presidential Decree.
ADDENDUM <Presidential Decree No. 31380, Jan. 5, 2021>
This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation. (Proviso Omitted.)
ADDENDUM <Presidential Decree No. 34460, Apr. 30, 2024>
This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.