Byeong
Encyclopedia
"'Byong"' or "'Byeong"' (Korean
: "'병"') is a military term
used in the armed forces of South Korea
to describe a soldier
, airman
, sailor
, or marine who holds a junior enlisted rank.
The rank of Byeong is divided into four classes those being:
The various ranks of "Byeong" are denoted by stripes worn laterally on a service member's left sleeve. An even lower rank, that of "Mudungbyeong", also known as Hulyeonbyeong (Korean
: 훈련병, Hanja
: 訓鍊兵), is held by enlisted recruit
s in basic training
and has no established insignia.
In most comparative military scales, a "Byeongjang" is considered the equivalent of a non-commissioned officer
equal to a Sergeant
. The South Korean military, however, does not generally grant NCO powers to a service member until obtaining the rank of "Hasa". Stil, "Byeongjang" in South Korea is exceptionally considered as NCO when holding the squad leader position.
Some ROK Byeongjang who work closely with United States military counterparts are frequently addressed as "Sergeant" or the equivalent E-5
term in English by the US military members. This varies however by unit. In a similar vein, some US E-5 members are called Hasa by the ROK members, as their status is one of NCO.
The North Korea
n equivalent to the rank of "Byeong" is known as "Kǔp
".
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
: "'병"') is a military term
Comparative military ranks of Korea
Comparative military ranks of Korea refer to the ranks and insignia maintained by the three primary military powers present on the Korean Peninsula, those being the Republic of Korea Armed Forces , the Korean People's Army of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , and the military forces of...
used in the armed forces of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
to describe a soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, airman
Airman
An airman is a member of the air component of a nation's armed service. In the United States Air Force and the Royal Air Force , it can also refer to a specific enlisted rank...
, sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
, or marine who holds a junior enlisted rank.
The rank of Byeong is divided into four classes those being:
- Byeongjang (E-4) 병장/兵長
- Sangbyeong (E-3) or Sangdungbyeong 상병/上兵 or 상등병/上等兵
- Ilbyeong (E-2) or Ildungbyeong 일병/一兵 or 일등병/一等兵
- Ibyeong (E-1) or Idungbyeong 이병/二兵 or 이등병/二等兵
The various ranks of "Byeong" are denoted by stripes worn laterally on a service member's left sleeve. An even lower rank, that of "Mudungbyeong", also known as Hulyeonbyeong (Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
: 훈련병, Hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
: 訓鍊兵), is held by enlisted recruit
Recruit
Recruit can refer to:* a recently enlisted member of a military or paramilitary corps, still in training, as in :** Army recruit** Seaman Recruit...
s in basic training
Basic Training
Basic Training may refer to:* Basic Training, a 1971 American documentary directed by Frederick Wiseman* Basic Training , an American sex comedy* Recruit training...
and has no established insignia.
In most comparative military scales, a "Byeongjang" is considered the equivalent of a non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
equal to a Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. The South Korean military, however, does not generally grant NCO powers to a service member until obtaining the rank of "Hasa". Stil, "Byeongjang" in South Korea is exceptionally considered as NCO when holding the squad leader position.
Some ROK Byeongjang who work closely with United States military counterparts are frequently addressed as "Sergeant" or the equivalent E-5
Pay grade
Pay grades are used by the uniformed services of the United States to determine wages and benefits based on the corresponding military rank of a member of the services...
term in English by the US military members. This varies however by unit. In a similar vein, some US E-5 members are called Hasa by the ROK members, as their status is one of NCO.
The North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n equivalent to the rank of "Byeong" is known as "Kǔp
Keub
Keub is a North Korean military rank that is the equivalent of a Corporal in most other countries. The rank of Keub is divided into three grades, those being:* Hakeub * Jungkeub * Sangkeub...
".