The National Flag - Taegeukgi

The National Flag - Taegeukgi

Origin

Following the trend for modern states to adopt national flags, the decision to create a national flag for Korea emerged with the ratification of the Korea-United States Treaty of 1882. No accurate records remain of the Korean flag chosen for use at the signing ceremony; however, some argue that the flag was si milar to the ensign flag featured in the Flags of Maritime Nations issued by the U.S. Navy Department’s Bureau of Navigation and found in 2004. In his capacity as Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary under King Gojong, Park Yeong-hyo kept a record of his diplomatic mission to Japan in 1882.

In his capacity as Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary under King Gojong, Park Yeong-hyo kept a record of his diplomatic mission to Japan in 1882. According to his journal, known as Sahwagiryak, in September of that year while aboard the ship to Japan, Park created a four-trigram flag with a taegeuk circle (instead of the flag with eight black bars that had been used prior to 1800). The flag was used from September 25, 1882, according to Park’s report to the government on October 3 of that year. By royal order on March 6, 1883, King Gojong promulgated that Park’s flag with a taegeuk circle in the center and four trigrams around it (the flag named Taegeukgi) be the national flag. However, due to a lack of specific guidelines, the flag design took different forms. On June 29, 1942, the Provisional Government issued a national flag style guide to ensure that subsequent flags would be created in a consistent manner. Despite these efforts, however, ordinary people were unaware of these guidelines.After the establishment of the Republic of Korea on August 15, 1948, the government felt an increasing need to standardize flag construction. Thus in January 1949, it formed the National Flag Correction Committee, which announced the National Flag Construction Guidelines on October 15 of that year. A number of regulations were later implemented, providing for the systematic management of the flag: the Act on the Flag of the Republic of Korea, enacted in January 2007; the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Flag of the Republic of Korea, in July 2007; and the Regulations on the Hoisting, Management, and Promotion of the National Flag in September 2009 (by instructions from the Prime Minister).

Symbolism of the flag

The Taegeukgi consists of a white background, a red and blue taegeuk circle in the center, and four black trigrams (collectively called geongongamri), one in each corner of the flag. The white background represents brightness, purity, and peace, qualities that are highly valued by the people. The taegeuk, which has long been a commonly used motif, denotes the harmony between the negative cosmic forces (yin : blue portion) and the positive cosmic forces (yang : red portion), depicting the truth of nature that all things are created and evolve through the interaction of yin and yang. The four black trigrams are specific representations of the movement and harmony of these forces. In detail, the geon symbolizes the sky, the gon the earth, the gam water, and the ri fire. Together, they create harmony around the taegeuk mark. In short, the Taegeukgi flag embodies the vision of the Korean people who, like the universe, seek continuous creation and enrichment. By upholding the spirit and significance of the Taegeukgi, the people seek to realize unity and unification and contribute to the happiness and peace of humanity.

Construction of the Flag of Korea

Construction of the Flag of Korea

  1. ① Diameter of circle x 3
  2. ② Diameter of circle x 2
  3. ③ Diameter of circle x 1/2
  4. ④ Length of flag x 1/2
  5. ⑤ Right angle (90 degrees)
  6. ⑥ Diameter of Circle x 1/24
  7. ⑦ Diameter of circle x 1/4
  8. ⑧ Diameter of circle x 1/3
  9. ⑨ Diameter of circle x 1/12

Pledge of allegiance to the flag (revised on July 27, 2007)

I, standing before the noble Taegeukgi, solemnly pledge allegiance to the Republic of Korea, to its glory, liberty and justice.

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Prime Minister

Profile

Prime Minister

Prime Minister KIM min-seokKim Min-seok

Prime Minister's Biographytable for Prime Minister's Biography
Birth
1964, Seoul
Prime Minister's Biographytable for Prime Minister's Biography
Part Date Contents
Education

1982. 2.

Graduated from Sungsil High School, Seoul

1989. 2.

Graduated from Department of Sociology, Seoul National University

1995. 6.

Obtained Master of Public Administration, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, USA

2010. 7.

Obtained Master of Laws (LL.M.), Tsinghua University, China

2011. 5.

Obtained Doctor of Jurisprudence, Rutgers University-Newark, New Jersey, USA

Prime Minister's Biographytable for Prime Minister's Biography
Part Date Contents
Career

1996. 5.~ 2000. 5.

Member of the 15th National Assembly

2000. 1.~ 2000. 8.

Chief of Staff, Kim Dae-jung, Millennium Democratic Party Chairman's Office

2000. 5.~ 2002. 7.

Member of the 16th National Assembly

2007. 8.~ 2010.8.

Supreme Council Member, Democratic Party·United Democratic Party

2016. 2.~ 2016.10.

Party Leader, Democratic Party Central Committee

2017. 3.~ 2017. 5.

Planning and Coordination Director, The Minjoo Party 19th Presidential Election Preparatory Committee (19th Presidential Election Planning Group)

2017. 5.~ 2019. 5.

President, Democratic Research Institute

2019. 5.~ 2020. 8.

Chairman, the Minjoo Party Inclusive Nation Vision Committee

2020. 5.~ 2024. 5.

Member of the 21st National Assembly

2020. 9.~ 2022. 5.

Chairman, National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee

2020. 9.~ 2020. 10. 

Chairman, Social New Deal Division, the Minjoo Party Future Transformation K-New Deal Committee

2020. 10.~ 2021. 5.

Chairman, the Minjoo Party Strategic Planning Advisory Committee

2023. 3.~ 2023.10.

Chairman, the Minjoo Party Policy Committee, Director, Democratic Research Institute

2024. 3.~ 2024. 4.

Director of Comprehensive Situation Room, the Minjoo Party Central Election Committee for the 22nd National Assembly Election

2024. 5.~ 2025. 6.

Member of the 22nd National Assembly

2024. 8.~ 2025. 6.

Supreme Council Member, the Minjoo Party

2025. 4.~ 2025. 6.

Standing Co-Chairman, the Minjoo Party Central Election Committee for the 21st Presidential Election

2025.7.4.  ~ Present The 49th Prime Minister

Awards

1999.11.

Won the 1st Baekbong Gentleman Award

2000. 2.

Selected as Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum, Davos

2000.12.

Won the 2nd Baekbong Gentleman Award

2001.11.

Won the 3rd Baekbong Gentleman Award

2021. 6.

Won the 1st Korea Parliamentary Excellence Award (Policy Research Division)

2022. 5.

Won the 2nd Korea Parliamentary Excellence Award (Outstanding Committee Division, Policy Research Division)