This is the ‘Taegeukgi’ (Korean national flag) that was discovered while disassembling and repairing Jingwansa Temple in Seoul. The blue part of the ‘taegeuk’ (yin-yang) shape has been drawn crookedly using black ink on top of a regular red circle. Looking at these two features, we can deduce that this Taegeukgi was drawn over a Japanese flag. This Taegeukgi was discovered alongside copies of ‘Daehan sinmun’ (Daehan Newspaper) and ‘Joseon Tongnip sinmun’ (Joseon Independent Newspaper) while taking down the walls of Jingwansa Temple. Given the fact that the newspapers are dated just after the March 1st Independence Movement, this Taegeukgi is presumed to have been used during that movement. This Taegeukgi, drawn over a Japanese flag, gives us a glimpse into the spirit of resistance and desire for independence our forefathers possessed at the time.

■ ‘Narasarang’ (patriotism) Taegeukgi-flying campaign

February 26, 2015. Suwon Station looked like a scene from March 1, 1919. A good number of people were parading past Suwon Station holding Taegeukgis in their hands. It was the ‘Narasarang (patriotism) Taegeukgi-flying campaign’ celebrating the March 1st Independence Movement.

Participants carried a large Taegeukgi – 6 meters in width and 4 meters in height – and marched for approximately 10 minutes down the road from the Maesan Patrol Division at Suwon Station to the train platform at Suwon Station. Various other programs took place that day as well.

Two children wrapped around in Taegeukgis read out the ‘Resolution for the Spirit of the Taegeukgi’. Apart from this, the ‘Taegeukgi Oratory’, ‘Patriotic Martyr Yu Gwan-sun Performance’, and ‘Production Event for the Taegeukgi of Hope Drawn Together with the People of Gyeonggi Province’ took place. In addition, a ‘Taegeukgi Exhibition’ was held to give citizens the opportunity to see not only the aforementioned Jingwansa Temple Taegeukgi but also a variety of Taegeukgis used in the resistance movement against Japan.

■ Taegeukgis used in the independence movement

Since it seems like a good idea to share the Taegeukgis exhibited at the venue, the following is an introduction to some of the flags.

This Taegeukgi belonged to independence fighter Namsang Rak. It was made for the independence movement in 1919, and the entire flag is hand stitched. From each and every stitch of his Taegeukgi, you can feel Namsang Rak’s strong desire for and devotion to the independence movement.

The Taegeukgi on the left is the flag that was hoisted at the Provisional Assembly of the Republic of Korea. The Provisional Assembly of the Republic of Korea was an organization established in Shanghai to restore national sovereignty that had been taken away by Imperial Japan. It later became the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. The Taegukgi on the right is a flag with Kim Koo’s handwritten letter on it. It was given to Father Mies Ogg who was travelling from China to the United States in 1941. A handwritten letter by Kim Koo requesting the support of his fellow countrymen and women for the Independence Army is written on the flag.

■ The meaning of each section of the Taegeukgi

So far, we have looked at a number of Taegeukgis. How much do you know about our national flag? Do you know the meaning of each section of the Taegeukgi and how to correctly draw a Taegeukgi? Clearly we have all learnt how to draw a Taegeukgi a few times, but it is confusing every time we attempt it. So, this this section describes everything you need to know about the Taegeukgi!

As we all know, the Taegeukgi has a circle with the colors blue and red arranged in a taegeuk (yin-yang) shape at the center of a white background. In addition, four different types of ‘gwae’ (trigrams) are placed in each corner. First of all, have you ever heard of ‘baekeuiminjok’ (the white-clad folk)? The white used in the Taegeukgi is the color that represents the Korean people. The blue used in the taegeuk pattern represents ‘eum’ (yin, negative) and the red represents ‘yang’ (yang, positive). Together they refer to harmony between the positive and the negative. Normally we refer to the four trigrams as ‘geon, gon, gam, ri’. However, we think it would be easier to remember if memorized as ‘geon, gon, ri, gam’. This is because, in that order, each trigram means the four seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter), the four bearings (East, West, South, North), and the four values (In (benevolence), Eui (righteousness), Ye (courtesy), Ji (Intelligence)).

Here’s a tip for those who find it difficult to draw a Taegeukgi. You would know very well that the red part goes on top while the blue goes on the bottom. So for the remaining parts, remember to draw trigrams corresponding to the numbers 3-4-5-6 in the upper-left, lower-left, upper-right, lower-right corners respectively. This is because each trigram is made of 3, 4, 5, and 6 lines. The name for each trigram in this order is ‘geon-ri-gam-gon’.

Today, we took some time to learn about the Taegeukgi. It may seem complicated, but given the various meanings this single flag holds – heaven and hearth, sun and moon, and the harmony between yin and yang – does it not feel like a fairly simple diagram? Today is the 1st of March. How about devoting some time to studying the Taegeukgi and the independence movement in commemoration of the Korean forefathers who hand-stitched Taegeukgis for the independence of Korea and those who put their lives at risk for the independence movement?

http://ggholic.tistory.com/9572