An international military decoration established by the United Nations on December 12, 1950. Awarded to any military service member, of an Armed Force allied with South Korea, who participated in the defense of Korea from North Korean aggression between the dates of June 27, 1950 and July 27, 1954. In the United States Armed Forces, any service member awarded the Korean Service Medal is automatically granted the United Nations Service Medal. On November 22, 1961, the United Nations officially changed the name of the United Nations Service Medal to the United Nations Korean Medal. The United States Department of Defense continues to refer to the decoration as the United Nations Service Medal in an effort to maintain consistency with older military files referring to the decoration by its original name. The decoration was the first international award ever created and recognized the multi-national defense forces which participated in the Korean War.