Originally and technically known as the 6.25 Incident Participation
Medal (Presidential decree 6.25 stands for June 25, 1950, the date of
the beginning of the North Korean invasion into South Korea. [1] ), the
colored and enameled 5-pointed star version of the Korean War Service
Medal was first authorized to South Korean troops who had participated in
the initial counter-assaults against North Korean aggression in June 1950.
On September 15, 1951, President Syngman Rhee referred to and
authorized the commander-chief of the United Nations Command to
confer the award of the Korean War Medal and Korean War Ribbon
(Korean War Service Medal), to the brave and valiant members of the
United Nations Command who have been, and are now, combating the
communist aggressor in Korea.