한국 해군장교 정모휘장의 변천과 그 함의

Abstract

This paper pertains to the process and implication of the transition of Republic of Korea Navy officer’s hat device insignia. This article will investigate the process of transition that lead to today’s design of the Navy officer's hat device insignia as well as the implication of each change that was made to the design. Although various categories exist within the history of uniform regulations, the author chose to focus on the Navy officer’s hat insignia for a special reason. The author believes that an investigation of the transitional history of the hat device insignia will help us understand what tradition was succeeded by the Republic of Korea Navy. This will aid in the understanding of the historical background and characteristics of the formation of identity of the Korean Navy. In the process of examination of a record of the uniform regulation history published in late 2013, three distinctive features were found to be monumental in the history of transition of the Republic of Korea Navy officer’s hat device insignia. The first design was the insignia that was used during the liberation era and the founding era of the armed forces. The Navy anchor, Mugunghwa(Hisbiscus syriacus, national flower of the Republic of Korea), and the leaf of Mugunghwa appears on the insignia. This design harmoniously arranged a universal symbol for Navy as well as two unique symbols of the Republic of Korea. This has a historical meaning in symbolizing the birth of the Republic of Korea Navy. The second design was the insignia that was used during the Korean War. An eagle appears on the insignia, which was modeled after the insignia of the United States Navy. This shows the desire of Admiral Sohn, Won-il to build a Navy as powerful as the Navy of the United States. Unlike the previous insignia, this insignia shows features of the imitation the insignia in the United States Navy. The third design was newly adapted in the mid-1950s, which features the Turtle Ship at its core. This shows the identity of the Republic of Korea Navy as a Navy that inherits develops the naval tradition of Chungmugong Lee, Sun-shin. This brings much meaning to the insignia, in the sense that it establishes the history and tradition of the Navy as well as the origin of its identity. The unique design and the ideological tradition of the Navy officer’s hat device insignia that features the Turtle Ship at its center has remained unchanged for more than sixty years, deeply rooted as the symbol of the Republic of Korea Navy.