Flag of South Korea

Meaning and history of the flag of South Korea

The flag of South Korea, known as the "Taegukgi," was formally adopted on October 15, 1949, though its origins date back to the 1880s. It has a white field with a large circular emblem at the center divided into two swirling halves, red above and blue below, forming the taeguk, the Korean counterpart to the yin-yang. A different black trigram, drawn from the I Ching, appears in each of the flag's four corners.

The white field represents peace and purity, values traditionally associated with the Korean people, who were historically known as "the people of white clothing." The central taeguk symbolizes the cosmic balance between the opposing and complementary forces of the universe. The four trigrams stand for heaven, earth, water, and fire, and are in turn linked to the seasons, the cardinal directions, and various virtues. It is one of the world's flags richest in philosophical symbolism, deeply rooted in Neo-Confucian and Taoist cosmology. Its design is unique and bears no direct resemblance to any other national flag.

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