Hero of Labour (North Korea)

Hero of Labour (Korean: 로력영웅; MR: Roryŏk Yŏngung) is one of the highest titles of honour 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 Labour. 16 people were decorated Labour Heroes during the war and more since then. The decoration is based on its Soviet equivalent, Hero of Socialist Labour.