Few other countries have as many heroes as North Korea. The title of hero, consisting of Republic's hero and labor hero, is statutorily described as the "top honor of the citizens of the Republic." The Republic's hero title is mainly accorded to those who have rendered extraordinarily meritorious services to the state, or died in the course of rendering such services under special circumstances such as war, espionage activities and military training. The labor hero is a title awarded to the outcome of one's superhuman labor. If and when a ranking official is given a hero medal, merely an honor is added to him or her, entailing little change in treatment. If an ordinary worker gets a hero medal, however, he or she becomes a genuine hero in society, with their social status undergoing a complete turnaround.

The Republic's hero title, a rank above that of a labor hero, was originally accorded to servicemen who had distinguished themselves in the 1950-53 Korean War. A typical case is Rhi Su Bok, who is said to have blocked the "muzzle of an enemy gun" with his own body. The title was subsequently given to a man who braved a fire at the study of the late North Korean founder and president Kim Il Sung and his son and incumbent paramount leader Kim Jong Il saving a portrait of Kim the Senior and Junior from damage, and a citizen killed in a shipwreck in the open sea, but holding on his chest a similar portrait, wrapped in vinyl. Receiving most Republic's hero titles in recent years are agencies dealing with South Korea. The title is accorded a North Korean spy who has successfully achieved generally one major and two lesser espionage missions in the South. Many of them are said to have received the title two or three times. Republic's hero medal recipients are made public by the media such as the Workers' Party organ, the Rodong Sinmun, but the awarding of such titles to spies is excepted and notified to the next of kin only.

The labor hero title is granted to those who have distinguished themselves in various sectors. Ms Paik Sol Hi a researcher at the Botanical Research Institute affiliated with the Academy of Sciences, was given the title amid a fanfare of publicity in recognition of her alleged success in developing an oil-producing perennial herb. Being preoccupied with her research she even missed a chance of getting married. Due to a lack of economic values, however, the herb has not been popularized. Drilling specialist Baik Ki Wu at Taehung Mine in Ryanggang province, won the title in recognition of his 30-year-long devotion to drilling, overcoming handicaps stemming from his father's being a landlord. It was a reward to his devoted lifelong work. Chang Chun Sil, director, Industry Management Office in Chonchon County, was made labor hero twice for his contribution toward improving the livelihood of his neighbors by successfully cultivating barren farmland by fertilizing it with human manure, which he carried in pails over his shoulders for decades.

Also given labor hero titles were a housewife who donated to People's Army units scores of pigs a year for several years, and a social worker who successfully looked ofter tens of orphans. Kim Jae Bok, an ordinary worker in Chonchon County, who gave birth to many children and raised them all well, was also made a labor hero, in an apparent move to encourage bearing many young. Hong Chang Su, a Korean resident boxer in Japan who has North Korean nationality, has recently been made a labor hero when he beat South Korean boxer Cho In Ju in a title match held in Seoul. Athletes usually have to win gold medals at Olympics to become labor heroes. But exceptions are made when special “significance" is found. A case in point is Chong Song Ok, who won victory in the marathon in the 1999 World Field and Track Championships, in recognition of his enhancing the morale of North Koreans at a time when they were suffering from economic woes.

Producing the largest number of labor heroes are construction sites. Upon the completion of the Nampo Floodgate Project, more than 100 workers were made labor heroes. The completion of major railroad, highway and power plant construction projects also see the production of tens of labor heroes each. Once made labor heroes, ordinary workers enjoy respect and social perks equivalent to those enjoyed by the chief secretary of the region or county involved. They are eligible to get medical treatment at the special department of hospitals, dubbed section 2, along with leading officials. When traveling by train, they are entitled to use compartments reserved for ranking officials, and deluxe sleepers, and preferential consideration is given them when their children enter institutes of higher education. In addition, the best houses available in the neighborhood are allocated to them.

But some claim of late that heroes are less favored than successful merchants. Though the treatment of heroes remain unchanged, some contend, heroes find their living difficult in the face of soaring prices and difficulties in securing goods even if they had money, and heroes can hardly engage in commerce themselves. Others note that the popularity of heroes has fallen because too many of them have been produced lately.

(Kang Chol Hwan, nkch@chosun.com )