Korea Medal KM

The Korea Medal was instituted in July 1951 and awarded for service in Korea between 1 July 1950 and 27 July 1953. Personnel who served in the Korean War are eligible to receive up to three medals; the Korea Medal, the United Nations Service Medal (Korea) and the Australian Active Service Medal 1945-75.

The Korea Medal is a cupro-nickel medal, 36 mm in diameter, with a staight bar suspender. The obverse bears the uncrowned effigy of the Queen surreounded by the words ‘ELIZABETH II DEI GRA BRITT OMN REGINA F.D’. The reverse shows an image of Hercules fighting the Hydra, which was a symbolic representation of communism.

The Korea Medal ribbon is yellow, with two stripes of blue representative of the United Nations.

Members mentioned in despatches for operations recognised by the Korea Medal were approved to wear a bronze oak leaf on the medal ribbon and a small version as a ribbon bar emblem.