| Name | Taegeukgi 태극기 太極旗 |
|---|---|
| Use | National flag and ensign |
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | March 6, 1883 (Former version) July 12, 1948 (Current version) |
| Flag of South Korea | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 태극기 |
| Hanja | 太極旗 |
| Revised Romanization | Taegeukgi |
| McCune–Reischauer | T'aegŭkki |
The flag of South Korea, or Taegeukgi (also spelled Taegukgi in convention) has three parts: a white background; a red and blue taegeuk in the centre; and four black trigrams, one in each corner of the flag. These trigrams are carried over from the eight trigrams (Ba gua), which are of Chinese origins.
The general design of the flag also derives from traditional use of the tricolour symbol (red, blue and yellow) by Koreans starting from the early era of Korean history. The white background symbolises "cleanliness of the people". The Taegeuk represents the origin of all things in the universe; holding the two principles of eum and yang; the former being the negative aspect rendered in blue, and the latter as the positive aspect rendered in red, in perfect balance. Together, they represent a continuous movement within infinity, the two merging as one. The four trigrams are
| Name in Korean | Nature | Seasons | Cardinal directions | Four virtues | Family | Four elements | Meanings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| geon (건 / 乾) | sky (천 / 天) | spring (춘 / 春) | east (동 / 東) | humanity (인 / 仁) | father (부 / 父) | metal (금 / 金) | justice (정의 / 正義) | |
| ri (리 / 離) | sun (일 / 日) | autumn (추 / 秋) | south (남 / 南) | courtesy (예 / 禮) | son (중남 / 子) | fire (화 / 火) | wisdom (지혜 / 智慧) | |
| gam (감 / 坎) | moon (월 / 月) | winter (동 / 冬) | north (북 / 北) | intelligence (지 / 智) | daughter (중녀 / 女) | water (수 / 水) | vitality (생명력 / 生命力) | |
| gon (곤 / 坤) | earth (지 / 地) | summer (하 / 夏) | west (서 / 西) | righteousness (의 / 義) | mother (모 / 母) | earth (토 / 土) | fertility (풍요 / 豊饒) |
Traditionally, the four trigrams are related to the Five Phases of fire, water, earth, wood, and metal.
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Although the revised official Romanisation is Taegeukgi, the word Taegukgi has been used in English-speaking countries historically.
The flag was designed by King Gojong[5] or Pak Young-hyo[6] 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 (see article Flag of North Korea).[7] 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.
The official colours of Taegukgi are specified on the "Ordinance Act of the Law concerning the National Flag of the Republic of Korea (대한민국국기법시행령).[8][9] There was no specification for shade of colours until 1997, when South Korean government decided to provide standard specification for the flag. On October, 1997, Presidential ordinance on the standard specification of the flag of the Republic of Korea was promulgated,[10] and that specification was acceded by the National Flag Law in 2007.
The colours are defined in legislation by the Munsell and CIE colour systems:
| Scheme | Munsell[11] | CIE (x, y, Y)[11] | Pantone[12] | Hex triplet[13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | N 9.5 | N/A | N/A | #FFFFFF |
| Red | 6.0R 4.5/14 | 0.5640, 0.3194, 15.3 | 186 Coated | #C60C30 |
| Blue | 5.0PB 3.0/12 | 0.1556, 0.1354, 6.5 | 294 Coated | #003478 |
| Black | N 0.5 | N/A | N/A | #000000 |
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