The national flag of the Republic of Korea is called Taegeukgi. It symbolizes the Korean spirit, culture and history.

Taegukgi has three parts. The red and blue Taegeuk (yin-yang symbol) mark is located at the center of the flag and four black trigrams are in each corner on white background. The flag reflects the theme of balance and harmony. The white background symbolizes the purity, cheerfulness, and love of peace characteristic of Korean people. The yin-yang circle (Taegeuk), divided equally into a blue portion below and a red portion above, represents the dual cosmic forces of yin (blue) and yang (red). It symbolizes universal harmony, in which the passive and the active, the feminine and the masculine, form the whole.

The four trigrams of Geon, Gon, Gam, and Li, which surround the Taegeuk circle, denote the process of yin and yang going through a series of changes and growth. Geon, with three solid bars in the upper left-hand corner, denotes “heaven”. Gon , with three evenly divided bars in the lower right-hand corner, denotes “earth”. Gam , with one evenly divided bar on each side of one solid bar in the upper right-hand corner, denotes “water”. And Li , with one solid bar on each side of one evenly divided bar in the lower left-hand corner, denotes”fire”. Collectively, the yin-yang circle and the four trigrams represent universal harmony and unity. Taegeukgi embodies the ideals of all Koreans, who have pursued creativity and prosperity under universal principles and truth. Taegeuki has served to inspire Koreans to dedicate themselves to working harmoniously as one nation, unifying its people and contributing toward world peace and prosperity.

History of Taegeukgi

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

How to Draw Taegeukgi

Standard color shades of Taegeukgi, the Korean National Flag are follows: in the CIE System, the x, y, and Y coordinates for the red are x=0.5640, y=0.3194, Y=15.3; for the blue, x=0.1556, y=0.1354, Y=6.5. Alternatively, in the Munsell System of Color Notation, the red corresponds to 6.0R 4.5/14, and the blue to 5.0PB 3.0/12. In the Pantone Matching System, 186C red and 294C blue are recommended.

애국가 (South Korean National Anthem)

1. 동해물과 백두산이 마르고 닳도록 / 하느님이 보우하사 우리나라 만세 / 무궁화 삼천리 화려강산 / 대한 사람, 대한으로 길이 보전하세

2. 남산 위에 저 소나무, 철갑을 두른 듯 / 바람서리 불변함은 우리 기상일세 / 무궁화 삼천리 화려강산 / 대한 사람, 대한으로 길이 보전하세

3. 가을 하늘 공할한데 높고 구름 없이 / 밝은 달은 우리 가슴 일편단심일세 / 무궁화 삼천리 화려강산 / 대한 사람, 대한으로 길이 보전하세

4. 이 기상과 이 맘으로 충성을 다하여 / 괴로우나 즐거우나 나라 사랑하세 / 무궁화 삼천리 화려강산 / 대한 사람, 대한으로 길이 보전하세