Korean National Flag
The Korean National Flag, the T'aegukki, takes its name from the t'aeguk circle in the center of the flag--a circle that is divided equally and is in perfect balance. The red upper section represents yang and the blue lower section yin, an ancient symbol of the universe--of the great cosmic forces that oppose each other but achieve perfect harmony and balance fire and water, day and night, dark and light, construction and destruction, masculine and feminine, active and passive, heat and cold, plus and minus, and so on. The three bars at each corner also carry the ideas of opposition and balance. The three unbroken lines stand for heaven; the opposite three broken lines represent earth. At the lower left hand corner are two lines with a broken line between, symbolizing fire. Diagonally opposite is the symbol of water. The white background symbolizes the purity of the Korean people and their peace-loving spirit. The flag as a whole symbolizes the ideal of the Korean people developing forever in harmony with the universe.
Copyright © 1998 Korean War Veterans National Museum and Library