The Korean National Flag
(Tae Geug Gi)
The Korean Flag symbolizes much of the thought,
philosophy, and mysticism of the Orient. The symbol and sometimes
the flag itself, is Tae Geug.
Depicted on the flag is a circle divided equally and in perfect
balance. The upper (red) section represents the Yang and
the Lower (blue) section the Um, an ancient symbol of the
Universe. These two opposites express the dualism of the Cosmos:
Fire and water, day and night, dark and light, construction and
destruction, masculine and feminine, active and passive, heat and
cold, plus and minus, and so on.
The central thought in the Tae Geug Indicates that while there is
a constant movement within the sphere of infinity, there are also
balance and harmony. As a simple example, kindness and cruelty may
be taken into consideration. If parents are kind to a child, it is
good, but they may spoil and weaken him and thus lead him to
become a vicious man and a source of disgrace to his ancestors.
Three bars at each corner also carry the ideas of opposition and
balance. The three unbroken lines stand for Heaven; the
opposite three broken lines stand for Earth. At the lower
left hand corner of the flag are two lines with a broken line
between. This symbolizes fire. The opposite is the symbol
for water.