Saturday, May 10, 2025
  • Login
KoreaTravelPost - South Korea's Leading Travel Media Publication
  • Home
  • Travel Industry News
  • TRAVEL
    • Accomodation
    • Activities
    • Attractions
    • Day Tours
    • Food & Drink
    • K-Entertainment Tours
    • Korean Culture
    • Must Buy
    • Shopping Destinations
    • Transportation
    • Travel Essentials
    • Travel Tips
    • Travel News in Korea
  • Cities
    • Busan
    • Daegu
    • Daejeon
    • Gwangju
    • Incheon
    • Jeju
    • Seoul
    • Ulsan
  • Regions
    • Gangwon-do
    • Gyeonggi-do
    • North Gyeongsang (Gyeongsangbuk-do)
    • North Jeolla (Jeollabuk-do)
    • South Chungcheong (Chungcheongnam-do)
    • South Gyeongsang (Gyeongsangnam-do)
    • South Jeolla (Jeollanam-do)
  • About us
No Result
View All Result
KoreaTravelPost - South Korea's Leading Travel Media Publication
  • Home
  • About Us
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result

Taegeukgi, The South Korean Flag: Unfurling History and Symbolism

KoreaTravelPost Editor by KoreaTravelPost Editor
July 17, 2023
in Korean Culture
0 0
0
Home TRAVEL Korean Culture

Last Updated on 2 years by admin

The flag of South Korea is a symbolic representation of peace, creation, unification, eternity, and light. It is also known as the Taegeukgi, and it’s a symbol of pride for the South Korean people. 

So, you might wonder why you would want to know about the country’s flag. That’s because the South Korean flag has a fascinating history. 

Table of Contents

Toggle
  • History of the South Korean Flag
  • Taegeukgi – The Korean Flag
      • Related Posts

History of the South Korean Flag

Prior to the 1870s, South Korea did not have a national flag. The need for a flag arose when the country started negotiating with Japan, the Korea Treaty of 1876. During the negotiations, when the Empire of Japan presented the Japanese national flag, there wasn’t one from the Korean Joseon Dynasty. It was then that the need for a South Korean flag was first recognized.

Subsequent treaties with foreign nations further emphasized the necessity of a Korean flag.

Various proposals surfaced, including a suggestion to incorporate the flag of the Qing Dynasty into the Joseon Dynasty flag.

Read more: 5 Grand Palaces of Seoul

The issue once again came up in 1882 when the Joseon delegate presented a flag that was similar to the Japanese national flag. This flag was presented to the Chinese official and Ma Jianzhong, a renowned scholar. Ma disagreed with the proposal of using the Qing Dynasty’s flag as the South Korean flag. He suggested a flag with a white background and a half-red/black circle in the center with eight black bars around it. 

Korean Empire Flag (1882 – 1910)
japanese flag
Flag when the country was under Japanese Occupation (1910 – 1945)

In August 1882, this flag with traditional symbols was adopted, and since then, it has remained the basic pattern of the flag. It was designed during the reign of King Gojong by the Korean ambassador to Japan.

Under the Japanese occupation, the flag was outlawed for 36 years! It was revived back in 1948 under the US occupation and declared official by the government in 1949. 

korean flag
Flag when the country was under American Occupation (1945 – 1948)
korean flag Taegeukgi
Korean Flag (1948 – Present)

In 1950, the black bars in the flag were positioned as they are now. The distancing between the split bars was updated in 1984, and the colors were defined through a presidential decree in 1997. 

Read more facts about South Korea on the Korea Tourism Website.

Taegeukgi – The Korean Flag

The flag’s colors are red, blue, and black on a white background. Each color represents a component of the nation. The white represents the land, the red and blue represent the people, and the black lines represent the government. The white background also represents lightness and purity, reflecting Korea’s love for peace and harmony. 

The elements of the flag are symbolic of the dual forces in nature. The central red and blue circle in the middle is called taegeuk in Korean. It literally translates into ‘supreme ultimate.’ The circle itself is divided into two – the upper red part represents the forces of yang (like yang in Chinese), and the lower blue part represents the forces of ‘um’ (like yin in Chinese). Both red and white parts resemble a comma, just like the yin-yang symbol of ancient philosophy. 

Even the shape of the red and blue parts is significant. The wide part of the comma represents the beginning of all things, while the tail represents the end. Thus, wherever yang initiates, um recedes, and vice versa.

Taegeukgi
Flag in the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History

The yin and yang come together to form the ‘to’ (tao in Chinese), reflecting the continually changing opposite but complementary forces in all aspects of life. There is light and darkness, good and evil, masculine and feminine, and so on. 

The four sets of bars, or trigrams, also convey the dualism of the cosmos. These trigrams come from the I-Ching, the oldest Confucian classics on Chinese cosmology. Only four out of the original eight trigrams are represented on the Korean flag. The four trigrams also symbolize the seasons and the cardinal directions in Taegeukgi. 

The components of the Taegeukgi represent not only the nation’s flag but also the country’s values and ideologies. It symbolizes the principle of movement and harmony that is integral to South Korean culture. 

Related Posts

  • Your Trip to Busan: Planning The Trip
  • Your Trip to Busan: Beautiful and Amazing Temples
  • Year of the Wood Snake in South Korea: Ultimate Guide to 2025 Festivities and Folklore  
  • Why Korean Drink So Much: Understanding the Popular Culture  
  • What to Get? 10 Popular & Authentic Korean Men’s Hairstyles When Visiting the Barber Hair Salon
What’s your thoughts?
+1
0
+1
0
+1
3
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
Facebook Twitter Email
[the_ad id="11418"]
Tags: Korean Culture
ShareTweetShareSendSend
[the_ad id="11418"]
KoreaTravelPost Editor

KoreaTravelPost Editor

Hello there! I'm the Features Editor for KoreaTravelPost.

Related Posts

The Truth Behind Hanok Stay Program: Between Criticism and Preservation
Korean Culture

The Truth Behind Hanok Stay Program: Between Criticism and Preservation

April 7, 2025
k-royal culture festival
Korean Culture

Celebrate Korean Heritage at the 2025 Spring K-Royal Culture Festival

March 7, 2025
What is “Cagong”: An Emerging Cafe Culture in South Korea + Crucial Tips  
Korean Culture

What is “Cagong”: An Emerging Cafe Culture in South Korea + Crucial Tips  

February 23, 2025
Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival
Korean Culture

Spring and Celebration: The Ultimate Guide to Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival

February 16, 2025
Love Days in South Korea: Celebrating Affection on 14th Day of Every Month
Korean Culture

Love Days in South Korea: Celebrating Affection on 14th Day of Every Month

February 14, 2025
January Winter Festivals in Korea
Korean Culture

Start the New Year with These Amazing Winter Festivals in Korea

January 18, 2025
Next Post
restaurants in korea tips for dining out

Savoring Korean Cuisine: Expert Tips for Navigating Busy Restaurants in South Korea You Must Not Miss!

No Result
View All Result

PRODUCTS

TESSAN Germany France Travel Power Adapter

Lonely Planet Korea 12

Korean Snack Box Variety Pack

OSULLOC Lovely Tea Gift Box Set

More from our network


  • ktd

  • atd

  • itd

  • ktt

  • kgd

  • kpp

  • ktp

  • kpoppost

  • ustechtimes

Categories

  • Accomodation
  • Activities
  • Attractions
  • Day Tours
  • Events
  • Food & Drink
  • K-Entertainment Tours
  • Korean Culture
  • Medical Tourism
  • Must Buy
  • Shopping Destinations
  • Transportation
  • TRAVEL
  • Travel Essentials
  • Travel Industry News
  • Travel News in Korea
  • Travel Tips

FREE NEWSLETTER

Follow Us

  • instagram
  • twitter

Copyright © 2024 About Us| Terms of Use |Privacy Policy|Cookie Policy| Contact : [email protected]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Travel Industry News
  • TRAVEL
    • Accomodation
    • Activities
    • Attractions
    • Day Tours
    • Food & Drink
    • K-Entertainment Tours
    • Korean Culture
    • Must Buy
    • Shopping Destinations
    • Transportation
    • Travel Essentials
    • Travel Tips
    • Travel News in Korea
  • Cities
    • Busan
    • Daegu
    • Daejeon
    • Gwangju
    • Incheon
    • Jeju
    • Seoul
    • Ulsan
  • Regions
    • Gangwon-do
    • Gyeonggi-do
    • North Gyeongsang (Gyeongsangbuk-do)
    • North Jeolla (Jeollabuk-do)
    • South Chungcheong (Chungcheongnam-do)
    • South Gyeongsang (Gyeongsangnam-do)
    • South Jeolla (Jeollanam-do)
  • About us

Copyright © 2024 About Us| Terms of Use |Privacy Policy|Cookie Policy| Contact : [email protected]