Taegeukgi: Korea’s National Flag

Each national flag embodies its own symbols. Taegeukgi, the Republic of Korea’s national flag, has a taegeuk symbol in the middle and four marks called Geon, Gon, Gam, Ni in the corners on a white background. 

Each of these has different significance. The round shape in the middle, called taegeuk, combines yin (blue) and yang (red) to represent the changing and developing nature. The white background signifies clarity, purity, and the peace-loving character of the Korean people. Lastly, the four corners that seem to protect the taegeuk symbol are called Geon, Gon, Gam, Ni which symbolize the sky, earth, water, and fire. 

Whenever there is something to celebrate or commemorate nationally, Koreans raise their national flag. There are different ways to raise the flag depending on the occasion, whether it’s for celebration, on a particular given day, or for expressing condolences. For celebrations or ordinary days, the flag is tied at the top of the pole. For mourning those who have sacrificed for the nation, such as Memorial Day, the flag is tied in the middle of the pole. The gap between the tip of the pole to the top of the flag is as long as the height of the flag gets. 

If you see many Taegeukgi flying in the neighborhood, that means a special day is coming up. Next time you notice, maybe you could check out what’s coming up?