North Korean flag. Flag of North Korea. Description and proportions of the flag of North Korea

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is an independent socialist state. Its flag expresses the political positions, aspirations and traditions of the country's population and its leaders. It reflected the main principles of the DPRK. What does the flag of North Korea look like?

Flag Description

The flag of North Korea was approved in September 1948. It is a standard rectangular panel in which the sides relate to each other 1: 2. The field of the flag is divided into five uneven horizontal stripes.

The extreme upper and lower bands are equal. They are dyed in Blue colour and symbolize faith in the ideas of the provisions of the revolution, and also express the desire to unite and cooperate with revolutionaries around the world.

The blue stripes are followed by thin white lines. They denote the pure thoughts and hopes of the inhabitants of the state. The middle band is the widest. It is red, which symbolizes the struggle, the strong and unshakable spirit of the population and its patriotism.

The red stripe of the North Korean flag features a red five-pointed star within a white circle. It is not located in the center of the flag, but slightly shifted to the left, closer to the flagpole. The star is a symbol of revolutionary traditions and the main sign of communism.

Flag history

Until the middle of the 20th century, Korea was a single state without division into South and North. Then the country was called the Korean Empire, and Taegykki or the Flag of Great Beginnings acted as a banner. He embodied the idea of harmony and balance of the universe.

On the white flag of the empire, a circle was depicted in which blue and red colors twisted into a spiral, forming a symbol of Yin and Yang. Around it were trigrams from the Book of Changes, which denoted the four cardinal points, the seasons, the fundamental elements (water, air, earth, fire), as well as the Moon, Earth and Sun.

In the period from 1910 to 1045, the country was under the influence of Japan. After the Second World War, the territory of the former Korean Empire was divided, falling under the influence of two different states. South Korea was under the control of the United States, and North - under the influence of the USSR. These parts never united, forming two independent states. In 1948, the flag of North Korea was designed, reflecting the goals and aspirations of a different, new country.

Other flags of the republic

The flag with the red star is the main official symbol of the country. However, there are other flags of North Korea. For some state structures the country has its own banners.

The flag of the ruling Labor Party depicts a golden sickle, hammer and brush, crossed among themselves. They are located in the center of the red canvas and symbolize the unification of representatives of all professions and classes.

Korean flag people's army painted in the same colors as the state. Sometimes on all sides, except for the shaft, it is bordered by a yellow fringe. The top and bottom blue stripes are inscribed with Korean. And on the left on the central red stripe is the coat of arms of the DPRK.

Case with the flag of South Korea

In 2012, an incident occurred that was discussed for a long time on the Internet. The organizers of the London Olympics mixed up the flags of North and South Korea. Representatives of the women's football team from North Korea were shown on television with the flag of their southern neighbor.

In fact, the national symbols of these countries are difficult to confuse. South Korea has chosen national flag the historical banner of the Korean Empire, which is quite different from the flag of the DPRK. Countries are not in the most better relations with each other, so an oversight could lead to significant conflict.

At first, the North Korean team even wanted to stop participating in the competition, but after a while they returned to the field. Still, there was no large-scale resonance, and the organizers were simply accused of poor preparation for the event.

In September 1948, the flag of the state of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was officially adopted, which has an unofficial name. North Korea.

Description and proportions of the flag of North Korea

The flag of North Korea is a classic rectangle, the sides of which are related to each other as 2:1. The flag's cloth looks like a field divided into five horizontal stripes of unequal width. The widest - the middle part of the flag - is made in bright red. On its half closest to the shaft there is a white disc, in which a five-pointed star of the same red color as the main field of the cloth is inscribed. The edges of the star touch the edges of the white circle.
The red field is bordered by thin stripes of white, followed by the top and bottom stripes of the flag of North Korea. These extreme top and bottom stripes are made in dark blue.
The symbolism of the flag of the state of North Korea is clear to every inhabitant of it. The star serves as a symbol of the state's revolutionary traditions, which are based on the Juche idea. This official ideology recognizes "reliance on one's own forces" as the main postulate.
The red field of the North Korean flag recalls the revolutionary patriotism of the people of the country and the spirit of struggle that pervades every day of their lives. The white color of the stripes of the flag of North Korea is traditional for this people. It symbolizes the purity of the ideals and thoughts of every Korean. The blue fields of the flag are the desire to unite in the struggle for the victory of peace and friendship with all the revolutionary peoples of the planet.

History of the Flag of North Korea

Immediately after the end of World War II, the Korean Peninsula became the scene of liberation struggle with the Japanese invaders. During these years, the people of Korea used the flag of the pre-colonial state, which was called the Flag of the Great Beginnings. It was a white cloth with an emblem in the center. This symbol of the highest harmony and the perfect arrangement of the world reminded of the unity and struggle of the principles of yin and yang and the concept of eternal movement forward. The trigrams of the flag meant the most important values and qualities of an ideal character for people, the seasons and heavenly bodies.
In 1948, the Flag of the Great Beginnings was officially proclaimed the state symbol of the newly formed Republic of Korea in the southern part of the peninsula. The North Korean authorities were forced to develop a draft of their own flag, which flew for the first time on all flagpoles in September 1948.

IN last years heard by the whole world. But this fame is exclusively negative. Aggressive rattling nuclear weapons and the numerous violations of human rights are, of course, worrisome. But behind all this political fuss, few people pay attention to the mentality that has developed in this country, which manifests itself, first of all, in state symbols- anthem, coat of arms and flag.

Flag of the DPRK

The flag of which is noticeably different from the symbols of other Asian states, appeared in 1948, after several years of anti-Japanese struggle and the political split that followed the victory. Unique circumstances led to the fact that it merged traditional values for every Korean and new revolutionary ideals.

So, the North is made in proportions of 1: 2 (the length is 2 times the width) and consists of 5 longitudinal stripes of red, blue and white. Located in the middle with a slight shift to the left in length, the star symbolizes the revolutionary intentions of the country and, in fact, is a tribute to the USSR. The latter patronized the DPRK in all areas for a long time.

The colors of the flag have the following meanings:

Red - the patriotism of the revolutionary masses and the desire to fight.
White - purity of ideals.
Blue is a call to unite with other revolutionary peoples for the further struggle for world peace.

It is worth noting that the nearest neighbors - South and North Korea - have the flag in the same color. Despite the revolutionary aspirations, the state has not retreated from the traditional Southeast Asian palette.

Emblem of the DPRK

This symbol was also adopted in 1948 and at first glance is very similar to the badge of the USSR. Indeed, the coat of arms of North Korea and the patron state have in common a red ribbon at the base and ears of corn framing the sign. This, in fact, is where the similarity ends.

The main parts of the symbol:

The coat of arms is framed by ears of rice, a traditional Korean food.
In the upper part there is a revolutionary red star, from which, like from the sun, rays come.
Below is Mount Paekdu, where, according to legend, Hwanung, the founder of the first Korean state, descended from heaven.
The center of the emblem tells about industrial power with signs in the form of an electric tower, a powerful hydroelectric power station and a dam.

Anthem of the DPRK

North Korea received its flag and coat of arms almost 1 year later than its official national anthem was written. The solemn song, one of the co-authors of which was Park Se Yoon, consists of only 2 verses and does not call others to revolutionary achievements.