Hero of Labor (North Korea)
| Hero of Labor | |
|---|---|
| Country | North Korea |
| Presented by | North Korea |
| Status | Active |
| Established | 17 July 1951 |
| Total | 335 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (lower) | Order of Kim Il Sung, Order of Kim Jong Il |
| Hero of Labor | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 로력영웅 |
|---|---|
| Hancha | 勞力英雄 |
| Revised Romanization | Roryeok Yeongung |
| McCune–Reischauer | Roryŏk Yŏngung |
Labor Hero (Korean: 로력영웅; MR: Roryŏk Yŏngung) is one of the highest titles of honor of North Korea and the highest decoration of the country overall. The award was probably scheduled for establishment in the summer of 1950, but the Korean War postponed these plans. When the war had entered a phase of stalemate along the 38th parallel, the government had time to officially launch the decoration, originally under the name Korea Hero of Labor. 16 people were decorated Labor Heroes during the war and more since then. The decoration is based on its Soviet equivalent, Hero of Socialist Labour.