The Korean flag is one of the most recognisable and most beautifully designed flags in the world
The use of colour and the balance of each element on its white field represents a kind
of graphic zen state that your eyes just cannot move away from.
BACKGROUND Historically, Korea did not have much use
for a flag especially back when they were a colony of Japan.
A historical account has it that in 1882, Gojong, then king of Korea, sent an ambassador
named Bak Yeoung-hyo to Japan on a diplomatic mission.
While at sea, Bak decided to put together a standard of colours that he believed represented
the Korean people.
He drew the image of the taegeuk (or the yin and yang) with four trigrams surrounding it.
Prior to the creation of the early iteration of the Korean flag in 1882, Korea had no flags
to represent itself and opted to emulate the flag of China whom the country had a peaceful
relationship with.
In 1883, upon returning from his trip to Japan, Bak presented Gojong with the image of the
flag he used on his mission – and on March 6th of the same year, Gojong proclaimed the
Taegeuk as the official flag and standard of Korea.
Unfortunately, for some strange reason, the proclamation was not enacted in writing and
nothing was published regarding it.
It would take Korea until June of 1942 to formally enact a law on the uniform creation
of the Korean flag.
Though the law was promulgated, large parts of the country were unaware of it due to the
fact that the Korean government was in exile and was still a colony of the Japanese empire.
When the Republic of Korea was founded in 1948, it was only then that many of their
laws and proclamations were enacted throughout the country and in the following year, the
Korean government issued a provision on the national flag.
Since then, the Taegeuk has become the national symbol and flag of the Republic of Korea.
THE ELEMENTS Easily recognisable, the Korean flag is one
of the most identifiable flags in the world.
Its sheer simplicity is rivalled only by that of the Japanese flag but its elements are
what makes it quite unique.
We start off with the flag’s white field.
Representing purity in many cultures, the Korean flag has adopted white as a symbol
of showing that the Korea is a nation of peace-loving people.
At the very centre of the flag is the symbol of the yin and yang, or, in Korean, the eu-myang.
This symbol was adopted from the ancient Chinese symbol for balance and harmony.
On the flag, though, Korea has elected to use the colours of red and blue, respectively,
where red represents the yang and blue is the yin.
The eu-myang is representative of the duality of nature that comes together to create a
harmonious relationship: light and dark, male and female, positive and negative,
In some cases, people remember the icon of the eu-myang as a “sun rising from the ocean”.
It’s also a neat trick to remember where the colours are placed on the symbol.
Moving on to the four trigrams surrounding the eu-myang; these four sets of lines are
not on the flag by mere coincidence and they are not drawn up randomly.
The trigrams or the geon gon gamin are actually symbols that represent different elemental
concepts.
The top left symbol if the representation of heaven or the sky as three solid lines;
representing earth on the top right side are three lines with the top and bottom lines
equally split.
Directly below the symbol of heaven is fire as represented by three lines with the middle
line split in two; and underneath the symbol of earth is water with its three lines all
split in the middle.
Each trigram ties in together the flag’s theme of harmony and balance as these elements
work together to support life, at the same time contrasting each other to echo the symbol
of the eu-myang – i.e. fire contrasted by water, heaven contrasted by earth.
This image of the flag has been conceived and used as early as 1882 and has become internationally
recognised when the Republic of Korea became an independent and sovereign state.
Interestingly, there have been iterations of the flag where eight trigrams appear on
the field instead of four.
This has long since been scrapped to give preference to today’s much simpler design.
Also, another point of interest is that many Koreans oftentimes interchange the placements
of the trigrams when being illustrated.
However, one thing that every Korean national and citizen can agree on is the colours of
the eu-myang is always red on top of blue.
--- The story and intent behind the creation of
the Korean flag is something that can strike inspiration to anyone who discovers it.
Upon its white field are different symbols with different meanings but are speaking the
same themes: harmony and peace.
In today’s situation, however, it is quite ironic and depressing to know that the division
between North and South Korea has rendered the flag’s message with less power; especially
with the North adopting a more radical standard of colours to represent its communist ideals.
But despite that, as one of the most iconic flags to have ever flown, the Korean flag
remains to be a point of inspiration to many people seeking peace and unification in their
homeland.
And in the world stage, it has become a symbol of strength and spirit as South Korea has
continuously grown to be one of the greatest and most advanced democratic nations.
From its strides in economy to introducing its culture internationally, it comes as no
surprise that we have all come to love and admire what the flag unwaveringly represents.