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Flag of South Korea

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"Taegukgi" and "Taegeukgi" redirect here. For 2004 South Korean movie, see Taegukgi (film).
South Korea
Taegeukgi
태극기
太極旗
UseNational flag and ensign
Proportion2:3
AdoptedMarch 6, 1883 (Original version)
July 12, 1948 (Current version)

Template:Contains Korean text

Flag of South Korea
Hangul
태극기
Hanja
Revised RomanizationTaegeukgi
McCune–ReischauerT'aegŭkki

The flag of South Korea, or Taegeukgi (also spelled Taegukgi in convention) has three parts: a white background; a red and blue taegeuk in the center; and four black trigrams, one in each corner of the flag. These trigrams are carried over from the eight trigrams (Pal Gwae), which are of Chinese origin.

The general design of the flag also derives from traditional use of the tricolour symbol (red, blue and yellow) by Koreans starting from the early era of Korean history. The white background symbolizes "cleanliness of the people". The Taegeuk represents the origin of all things in the universe; holding the two principles of yin and yang in perfect balance; the former being the negative aspect rendered in blue, and the latter as the positive aspect rendered in red. Together, they represent a continuous movement within infinity, the two merging as one. The four trigrams are

Name in Korean Nature Seasons Cardinal directions Four virtues Family Four elements Meanings
geon
(건 / 乾) 		sky
(천 / 天) 		spring
(춘 / 春) 		east
(동 / 東) 		humanity
(인 / 仁) 		father
(부 / 父) 		heaven
(목 / 木) 		justice
(정의 / 正義)
ri
(리 / 離) 		sun
(일 / 日) 		autumn
(추 / 秋) 		south
(남 / 南) 		justice
(의 / 義) 		daughter
(녀 / 女) 		fire
(화 / 火) 		fruition
(결실 / 結實)
gam
(감 / 坎) 		moon
(월 / 月) 		winter
(동 / 冬) 		north
(북 / 北) 		intelligence
(지 / 智) 		son
(자 / 子) 		water
(수 / 水) 		wisdom
(지혜 / 智慧)
gon
(곤 / 坤) 		earth
(지 / 地) 		summer
(하 / 夏) 		west
(서 / 西) 		courtesy
(예 / 藝) 		mother
(모 / 母) 		earth
(토 / 土) 		vitality
(생명력 / 生命力)

Traditionally, the four trigrams are related to the Five Phases of fire, water, earth, wood, and metal.[citation needed]

Name

Although the revised official Romanisation is Taegeukgi, the word Taegukgi has been used in English-speaking countries historically.

History

(left)"Flag of Korea" in the Japanese newspaper "Jiji Shimpo" published on 2 October 1882. (center)"Empire of the Great Qing's tributary state: Flag of Goryeo" listed in the Qing diplomatic book "Tongshang zhangcheng chengan huibian" (通商章程成案彙編), edited by Li Hongzhang, in March 1883. (right)"Figure of Taijitu Ba gua" a collection of the Seoul university's Kyujanggak.[1][2][3]
Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag The earliest surviving depiction of the flag was printed in a U.S. Navy book Flags of Maritime Nations in July 1882.[4]

The flag was designed by King Gojong[5] or Pak Young-hyo[6] in 1882, and Taegeukgi was adopted as the national flag of Joseon Dynasty on March 6, 1883.

During the Japanese Occupation of Korea, Japanese Imperial Army had banned any display of the flag. As such, the Taegeukgi was used as a symbol of resistance and independence during that time and ownership of it was punishable by execution.

After independence, both North and South Korea initially adopted versions of the Taegeukgi, but North Korea later changed its national flag to a more Soviet-inspired design after three years (see article Flag of North Korea).[7] The Constituent Assembly of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) has officially adopted the Taegeukgi as the national flag since July 12, 1948. After the establishment of the government of the Republic of Korea, "The Rules for the flag of the Republic of Korea" was first enacted.

Specifications

Design

Flag construction sheet

Colours

The official colours of Taegukgi are specified on the "Ordinance Act of the Law concerning the National Flag of the Republic of Korea (대한민국국기법시행령).[8][9] There was no specification for shade of colours until 1997, when South Korean government decided to provide standard specification for the flag. On October, 1997, Presidential ordinance on the standard specification of the flag of the Republic of Korea was promulgated,[10] and that specification was acceded by the National Flag Law in 2007.

The colors are defined in legislation by the Munsell and CIE colour systems:

Scheme Munsell[11] CIE (x, y, Y)[11] Pantone[12] Hex triplet[13]
White N 9.5 N/A N/A #FFFFFF
Red 6.0R 4.5/14 0.5640, 0.3194, 15.3 186 Coated #C60C30
Blue 5.0PB 3.0/12 0.1556, 0.1354, 6.5 294 Coated #003478
Black N 0.5 N/A N/A #000000

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flags of South Korea.

References

  1. ^ "Oldest Flags Pictures found" (in Korean). chosun.com. 2004.01.26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ "Discovery of Old Flag Discredits 'Taegukgi' Legend". chosun.com. 26, January 2004. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Discovery of Old Flag Discredits 'Taegukgi' Legend". chosun.com. 26, January 2004. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Editor's note: The captions of images are wrong and should be interchanged each other.
  4. ^ United States. Navy Dept. Bureau of Navigation (1882). Flags of maritime nations: from the most authentic sources. Bureau of Navigation. p. 16.
  5. ^ Taegeukgi, Naver Encyclopedia
  6. ^ Korea Observer. 27. Academy of Korean Studies: 322. 1996. ISSN 0023-3919. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ History of the South Korean flag at FOTW.
  8. ^ 대한민국국기법시행령 (Ordinance Act of the Law concerning the National Flag of the Republic of Korea), Article 6–9.
  9. ^ 대한민국국기법시행령 별표2 (Ordinance Act of the Law concerning the National Flag of the Republic of Korea, Table 2)
  10. ^ Standard specification of Tagukgi
  11. ^ a b "깃면" (in Korean). Ministry of Public Administration and Security. 2009. Retrieved 2010-02-16. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ http://www.infokorea.ru/flag/
  13. ^ http://www.edigita.com/pantone.php
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