The Commemorative medal for United Nations operations in Korea (or Médaille commémorative des opérations de l’ONU en Corée in French) is a commemorative war medal established on 8 January 1952 and awarded to members of the French armed forces who fought in the Korean war.
On 25 June 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea in an effort to unify both countries under the northern communist government. A United Nations military force composed of seventeen nations soon began to arrive in theatre. France joined the U.N. forces in a 23 August with a battalion of 1,051 volunteers setting sail from Marseille on 25 October 1950. This battalion was under the command of general Raoul Magrin-Vernerey.
The French particularly distinguished themselves at the battles of Wonju, Chipyong-ni and Heartbreak Ridge. Out of 3,421 Frenchmen who fought in Korea, 262 were killed, 1008 wounded and 7 remain unaccounted for.
The United Nations operations in Korea commemorative medal was awarded to soldiers of the French United Nations detachment and to naval personnel with a minimum of two months in theatre.
The Commemorative Medal for United Nations Operations in Korea Design
The medal measures 36mm in diameter, is circular and struck in bronze.
The obverse bears on a background of sun rays radiating out from its center, the relief image of the national emblem of the Republic of South Korea on a flower-like eight lobe geometric form superimposed over a lit torch with its flame extending 7mm over the medal’s upper edge and forming the suspension loop. The torch also bisected a relief laurel wreath extending along all but the upper most of the medal’s circumference. The straight ribbon mount was adorned with a bronze decoration resembling the top of a pagoda.
The reverse bears the relief inscription on seven lines “MÉDAILLE” “COMMÉMORATIVE” “FRANÇAISE” “DES OPÉRATIONS” “DE L’ORGANISATION” “DES NATIONS UNIES” “EN CORÉE” (“FRENCH COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN KOREA”) surrounded by the relief circular inscription “RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE”.
The medal hangs from a 36mm wide silk moiré ribbon in the colors of the United Nations and France. It’s multicoloured vertical stripes were disposed as follows beginning with three central equal width light blue, white and light blue stripes totalling 20mm, these were bordered by three equal width dark blue, white and red stripes totalling 8mm, the dark blue being closer the ribbon’s edge.
