Flag of South Korea
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{{#if:태극기太極旗|| Chosŏn'gŭl: | 태극기 |
|s |south |rok |sk | #default = The flag of South Korea has three parts: a white background; a red and blue taeguk in the center; and four trigrams, one in each corner of the flag. In Korean, the flag is called the Taegeukgi. It was designed in 1882 during the reign of King Gojong by Bak Yeong-hyo, the Korean ambassador to Japan. Gojong proclaimed the Taegeukgi to be the official flag of Korea on 6 March 1883.
The symbolism of the flag comes from the Taoist concepts of yin and yang (pronounced "Eum Yang," in Korean). The white background symbolizes peace. The taeguk, known as taiji in Chinese, represents the origin of all things in the universe; holding the two principles of "Eum", the negative aspect rendered in blue, and "Yang", the positive aspect rendered in red, in perfect balance. Together, they represent a continuous movement within infinity, the two merging as one. The four black trigrams in the corners of the white field are from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes, called "Yeok Gyeong" in Korean) .
The four trigrams are:
- ||| Force (☰; geon (건; 乾) in Korean) = heaven (天), spring(春), east(東), virtue(仁);
- ¦¦¦ Field (☷; gon (곤; 坤)) = earth (地), summer(夏), west(西), justice(義);
- |¦| Radiance (☲; ri (리; 離)) = sun(日), fall(秋), south(南), courtesy(禮);
- ¦|¦ Gorge (☵; gam (감; 坎)) = moon(月), winter(冬), north(北), knowledge or wisdom(智).
In Chinese philosophy, the eight trigrams are related to the Five Elements of fire, water, earth, wood, and metal. An analogy could also be drawn with the four western classical elements.
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[edit] History
The taegukki was used as a symbol of resistance and the independence movement during the Japanese occupation and ownership of it was punishable by execution. After independence both North and South Korea initally adopted versions of the taegukki, but North Korea later changed its national flag to a more soviet-inspired design after three years (See article Flag of North Korea).
[edit] Specifications
Official colours given by the Office of the President are:
| Scheme | Blue | Red |
|---|---|---|
| CIE (x, y, Y) | 0.1556, 0.1354, 6.5 | 0.5640, 0.3194, 15.3 |
| Munsell | 5.0PB 3.0/12 | 6.0R 4.5/14 |
| Pantone* | 294 | 186 |
* approximate.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- http://english.president.go.kr/warp/en/korea/symbols/flag/ Accessed 6 February 2006. Source of colour specifications.
- http://www.opm.go.kr/warp/en/korea/symbols/ Accessed 6 February 2006
- http://www.korea.net/korea/kor_loca.asp?code=A0401 Accessed 6 February 2006
- http://www.songpr.com/
- Chosun Ilbo article on history of flag
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