Flag of North Korea

Meaning and history of the flag of North Korea

The flag of North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, was adopted on September 8, 1948. It consists of five horizontal stripes: blue at the top and bottom, followed inward by two narrow white stripes framing a broad red stripe at the center. On the left side of the red stripe is a white disc bearing a red five-pointed star.

Red represents revolutionary spirit and communism, while blue symbolizes sovereignty, peace, and friendship. The white stripes represent the purity and culture of the Korean people. The red star is the emblem of communism and of the Workers' Party of Korea. This design was a deliberate break from the traditional Korean Taegukgi flag, which continued to be used by South Korea; before the peninsula's division in 1945, both Koreas shared the same symbol. North Korea's flag bears some compositional resemblance to Cuba's in its combination of stripes and a prominent central element, though the colors and symbolism differ.

You can view the flag of North Korea in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full North Korea profile, its map, or the current local time in Pyongyang.