Each flag represents different things. For example, on the flag of the United States, the red color means strength and courage, blue signifies awareness and perseverance, and lastly, white means chastity and purity. Like this, the Korean flag also has meaning and history.

Until the year 1949, South Korea did not have a flag. However, as diplomacy with foreign countries became more frequent, the need for national flags also increased annually. Until the flag as clearly introduced by the government, a version similar to the current South Korean continued to be used up among people. Eventually, on October 15, 1949, the current South Korean flag was declared official by the Korean government.

▲ The image of the national flag in the early days.

In Taegeukgi, there are several colors which have symbols. White is the color which is used as a background of the flag. It represents the national character of the Korean people who love brightness, purity, tradition, and peace. Also, the Taegeuk pattern in the middle of the flag is expressed by the colors blue and red. Blue means yin, and red means yang. It expresses the truth of Mother Nature that everything in the universe is created and developed by the interaction of yin and yang. Not only the color but also the four frets that are located at the edge of the flag have symbols. The four frets represent mother nature such as sky, ground, water, and fire. They are composed of gun, gon, gam, and li. Gun means sky, and gon means ground. Also, gan represents water, and li expresses fire. These four frets are harmonized with Taegeuk at the center.

▲ Korean flag, Taegeukgi

Taegeukgi is not only a representative symbol of the nation's values and ideologies of years past but also symbolizes the principle of movement and harmony, concepts that will certainly play an integral role in South Korea's future.

By Wooin Gil