Culture of Korea

The flag of South Korea is called Taegeuk or Taegeukgi (태극; pronounced teh-GUK-key). Taegeukgi was created in 1882 but has underwent several design changes since its initial creation. Even so, the symbols of Taegeukgi are among the oldest found on any nation's flag.

The colors of the flag are red, blue, and black on a white background. The color white is a traditional color in Korean culture and symbolizes peace and purity. White was a very common color of attire in Korea during the 19th century. The color of black is used for the four trigrams, each representing a different virtue.

The red and blue circle in the middle of the flag is called taegeuk in Korean which, translated literally, means "supreme ultimate". It is half red and half blue, with blue symbolizing negative cosmic forces (um in Korean; yin in Chinese), while red represents positive cosmic forces (yang). The yang and um together form the to, signifying the perpetually changing opposite yet complementary forces or principles embodied in all aspects of life: light and darkness, good and evil, masculine and feminine. 

The four sets of trigrams further convey the idea of the dualism of the cosmos. Heaven is represented by the three unbroken lines; a set of three broken lines placed opposite represent the earth. The stages between the two extremes of yang and um are represented by the two lines with a broken line between them signifying fire, and the two broken lines with an unbroken line in the middle, water. Together, these four trigrams also symbolize the seasons and the cardinal directions, as well as virtues including humanity, justice, intelligence and courtesy.

The flag of North Korea, or the Korean People's Democratic Republic, is known as the Ramhongsaek Konghwagugki, which translates to mean “red colored flag of the republic.” It is composed of red leaf, fringed with blue lines at the top and at the bottom, which are bordered with white stripes from its inner side. The stripes are said to symbolize patriotism, determination, ethnic purity and unity of the nation. Closer to the left side of the flag, there is a white circle bearing a red five-pointed star. The design of the flag itself indicates that North Korea is a communist country. Though it is believed that this is a political sign, others say that this simply stands for the country’s traditions. 

The flag was adopted in 1948 after the departure of the Soviet troops from the country and it expresses the revolutionary ideas of the North Korean people and its leader Kim Il-sung. The red color refers to the blood shed during the socialist revolution or to patriotism, blue to peace, and white stands for purity and chastity. The colors of the flag are considered to be national colors. Use of the North Korean flag in South Korea is prohibited. There are, however, a few exceptions.