Taewonsu

Taewŏnsu (literally grand marshal, usually translated as generalissimo) is the highest possible military rank of North Korea and is intended to be an honorific title for the nation’s Great Leaders. The rank is senior to that of wonsu (marshal).

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 and later by Mao Ze Dong.

Taewŏnsu is theoretically equivalent to a seven-star general, possibly comparable to a generalissimo, grand marshal or the American rank of general of the armies (though that is normally considered a six-star rank) and the French ranks of marshal of France and admiral of France. However in reality the holders of this rank commanded smaller forces than some commanders from larger countries who have made no claim to such an uncommonly exalted rank. Many South Koreans deride the rank as having been created so as to “out rank” the military leaders of any other nation, rather than for any necessary purpose of military administration.

The rank of taewŏnsu was created by a joint decision of the Central Committee and Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, the DPRK′s National Defense Commission and Central People′s Committee in April 1992 to honor Kim Il Sung on his 80th birthday. In February 2012, his son and successor Kim Jong Il was awarded the title posthumously on the occasion of his official 70th birthday.

The insignia for taewŏnsu is similar to wonsu but with an added crest worn beneath the shoulder board's large marshal star (and an added crest added to the parade uniform's marshal star worn below the collar), below the Emblem of North Korea. The rank insignia is based on the now obsolete rank generalissimus of the Soviet Union.

If translated, the full rank is "grand marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" literally and "generalissimo of the DPRK" in the usual translation.