Must Read to Draw the Korean Flag, Tae-geuk-gi
Many people make mistakes when drawing the Korean flag because there are so many lines! After reading this post, you won’t forget the proper way to draw the flag ????????. But first, let’s go over the meaning of the Korean flag.
The Meaning of the Korean Flag
The national flag of South Korea, called Tae-geuk-gi, is composed of a white background with Taegeuk pattern in the middle (representing yin and yang, the truth of nature) and four trigrams (representing the fundamentals in nature) in each side.
- Upper left side: 건 (Geun) symbolizes sky
- Upper right side: 감 (Gam) symbolizes water
- Lower left side: 이 (Yi) symbolizes fire
- Lower right side”: 곤 (Gon) symbolizes earth
- Upper part (red) of the Taeguk pattern: yang (positive)
- Lower part (blue) of the Taeguk pattern: yin (negative)
- White background: brightness, purity, and peace-loving ethnicity
*What is yin and yang?
Yin and yang (or yin-yang) is a concept from Eastern philosophy that the universe is composed of complementary and interconnected forces.
The Easiest Way to Draw the Korean Flag
1️⃣Draw a circle.
2️⃣Draw a wavy line.
The line has to go down first. Remember, it’s Down and Up.
3️⃣Color each section with red and blue.
Think of the ocean and the sun. The ocean must be at the bottom, right?
4️⃣Now it’s time to draw the confusing lines.
Just think about 3, 4, 5, 6. They are the number of lines each section needs. (The order is left-up (3), left-down (4), right-up (5), right-down (6). See the picture above for more details.)
That’s all you have to do! Simple!????
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of South Korea
The Pledge of Allegiance is recited when holding events in public organizations in Korea. (“I promise to do my best for the endless glory of Korea in front of the proud Tae-guk-gi.”) After the recital, people sing along the first verse of the national anthem and say a quick silent prayer.
A Brief History of Tae-geuk-gi
The oldest Korean flag known, displayed in the National Museum of Korea.
This picture above is the oldest Korean flag, aka Denny Tae-geuk-gi, known to have been granted by King Gojong to American diplomatic adviser Denny (1838-1900).
King Gojong reigned as the twenty-sixth and final king of the Joseon Dynasty and also was the first emperor of the Korean Empire that existed from October 1897 to August 1910 (until the Japanese colonial era).
In March 6th, 1883, King Gojong enacted and proclaimed Tae-geuk-gi as a national flag of Korean Empire. But the standards for the shape of Tae-geuk-gi were not precisely set so various forms of Tae-geuk-gi were used during the independence movement.
Today’s Tae-geuk-gi ???????? was created on October 1949 when the National Flag Production Act was announced.
Various forms of Tae-geuk-gi used during the independence movement
When Do You Hang Tae-geuk-gi? and Why?
Koreans hang Tae-geuk-gi to celebrate and commemorate the important, joyous, historic days. Below are the five national holidays that Koreans put up the flag.
- 3/1 Independence Movement Day
- 7/17 Constitution Day
- 8/15 National Liberation Day
- 10/3 National Foundation Day
- 10/9 Hangul (Korean alphabet) Proclamation Day
Of course, you can always put up the flag whenever you want! ????????
How Do You Store the Flag? What If I Have to Throw It Away?
Once you got the flag, you have to recycle by washing it. If the flag is damaged/contaminated, the proper way to throw away, according to the Act on the Flag of the Republic of Korea, is to burn it. It is ILLEGAL to simply throw away the flag into the trash can. So it’s either you wash it or burn it.
But everyone knows it’s hard to light up the fire in the middle of the buildings. That’s why the districts installed the collection boxes at the community centers and district offices where everyone can easily leave behind their damaged flags. Problem solved!
