06-11-2011, 04:47 AM
The answer is 한국천주교회200주년기념 (200th Anniversary Of The Catholic Church In Korea). Even though the reverse looks very DPRK and the Medal does not resemble ROK medals, it was (I think if I translated right) issued (no doubt as an "All Korea" item) by the Seoul diocese of the Catholic Church. A very strange item really exaggerating the strange political situation the Korean peninsula is in. Pyongyang was once the "Jerusalem of the east" and still has a Catholic Cathedral (as to whether it is functioning or not is another thing). Apparently the occasion was also marked with an updated Korean translation of the bible.
Although I'm not a fan of religious items by any means, I couldn't pass on this medal - The complicated and confused messages it sends out makes it a very peculiar item indeed. Any information about this commemorative medal other than what it says on the obverse I have yet to find. I wonder if any of them even did make it to the DPRK since in the 1980's there was an opening up to cooperation with churches throughout the peninsula.
Although I'm not a fan of religious items by any means, I couldn't pass on this medal - The complicated and confused messages it sends out makes it a very peculiar item indeed. Any information about this commemorative medal other than what it says on the obverse I have yet to find. I wonder if any of them even did make it to the DPRK since in the 1980's there was an opening up to cooperation with churches throughout the peninsula.
