Taegeuk#Tricolored taegeuk

The {{Transliteration|ko|rr|taegeuk}} diagram has been existent for the majority of written Korean history.{{cite book|last1=Islam|first1=M. Rafiqul|title=Unconventional Gas Reservoirs: Evaluation, Appraisal, and Development|date=2014|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=9780128005941|page=352|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2zJdAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA352|access-date=3 March 2016}} The origins of the interlocking-sinusoid design in Korea can be traced to as early as the Goguryeo or Silla period, e.g. in the decoration of a sword, dated to the 5th or 6th century, recovered from the grave of Michu of Silla,Proceedings of the International Symposium on Cultivation and Utilization of Asian, Sub-tropical, and Underutilized Horticultural Crops: Seoul, Korea, August 13–19, 2006 (2011), p. 48 or an artifact with the {{Transliteration|ko|rr|taegeuk}} pattern of similar age found in the Bogam-ri tombs of Baekje at Naju, South Jeolla Province in 2008.{{cite web|url=http://news.dongascience.com/PHP/NewsView.php?kisaid=20090604100000000166 |title=국내 最古 태극무늬, 1400년 만에 햇빛 |publisher=Dong-A Science |last=Yoon |first=Wan-jun |date=2009-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701234551/http://news.dongascience.com/PHP/NewsView.php?kisaid=20090604100000000166 |archive-date=2016-07-01 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/05/135_46228.html |title=Oldest Taegeuk Pattern Found in Naju |publisher=The Korea Times |date=2009-06-03 |access-date=2013-01-12}} In the compound of Gameunsa, a temple built in AD 628 during the reign of King Jinpyeong of Silla, a stone object, perhaps the foundation of a pagoda, is carved with the {{Transliteration|ko|rr|taegeuk}} design.[http://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Index?contents_id=E0002819 경주감은사지] Encyclopedia of Korea

In Gojoseon, the ancient kingdom of Joseon, the design was used to express the hope for harmony of yin and yang.An Illustrated Guide to Korean Culture - 233 traditional key words by The National Academy of the Korean Language It is likely due to the earliest spread of ancient Chinese culture in Gojoseon, especially during the early Zhou dynasty.{{Cite book|last=Yoon|first=Hong-key|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/607859287|title=The culture of fengshui in Korea : an exploration of East Asian geomancy|date=2006|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=978-0-7391-5385-7|location=Lanham, MD|oclc=607859287}}

Today the {{Transliteration|ko|rr|taegeuk}} is usually associated with Korean tradition and represents balance in the universe, as mentioned in the previous section (red is {{Korean|hangul=양|rr=yang|labels=no}}, or positive cosmic forces, and blue is {{Korean|hangul=음|rr=eum|labels=no}}, or negative cosmic forces). Among its many religious connotations (Korean Confucianism; Taoism in Korea; Korean Buddhism), the taegeuk is also present in Korean shamanism.

File:Flag of South Korea.svg, also known as the {{Transliteration|ko|rr|Taegeukgi}} ({{Langx|ko|태극기}}), has a blue and red {{Transliteration|ko|rr|taegeuk}} in the center.]]

The {{Transliteration|ko|rr|taegeuk}} symbol is most prominently displayed in the center of South Korea's national flag, called the {{Transliteration|ko|rr|Taegeukgi}}, literally taegeuk flag (along with four of the eight trigrams used in divination). Because of the Taegeuk's association with the national flag, it is often used as a patriotic symbol, as are the colors red, blue, and black.

Though the taegeuk and the trigrams have been used since the earliest periods of Korean history, its use had started earlier in China.{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/936547932|title=Confucianism, a habit of the heart|date=2016|others=Philip J. Ivanhoe, Sungmoon Kim|isbn=978-1-4384-6014-7|location=Albany|pages=4|oclc=936547932}}

The {{Transliteration|ko|rr|taegeuk}} is a Taoist icon which symbolizes cosmic balance, and represents the constant interaction between the yin and yang, also known as eum/yang ({{Korean|hangul=음양|hanja=陰陽}}).{{Cite book|last=Prescott|first=Anne|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/894625952|title=East Asia in the world : an introduction|date=2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-7656-4321-6|location=New York|oclc=894625952}} The {{Transliteration|ko|rr|taegeuk}} symbol used on the flag originated from the Chinese Confucian classic known as The Book of Changes (also known as I Ching or Yijing), a book developed for use in divination.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zYYzAQAAIAAJ&q=taeguk+history+china|title=한국학의과제와전망: Yesul, sasang, sahoepʻyŏn|publisher=한국정신문화연구원|others=한국정신문화연구원. 國際協力室|year=1988|volume=2|pages=297}}{{Cite book|last1=Taylor|first1=Insup|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/swll.3|title=Writing and Literacy in Chinese, Korean and Japanese|last2=Taylor|first2=M. Martin|date=1995-12-07|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company|isbn=978-90-272-1794-3|series=Studies in Written Language and Literacy|location=Amsterdam|pages=145|doi=10.1075/swll.3}}

The four trigrams also originated from the I Ching; each of these trigrams represent specific Confucian virtues, cosmic elements, or family roles, in addition to seasons, compass directions, etc. The {{lang|ko|건}} geon trigram (☰) represents the heaven (sky), summer, south, father, and justice. The {{lang|ko|곤}} gon trigram (☷) symbolizes the earth (ground), winter, north, mother, and vitality, the {{lang|ko|감}} gam trigram (☵) the moon, autumn, west, 2nd (or middle) son, and wisdom, and the {{lang|ko|리}} ri trigram (☲) the sun, spring, east, 2nd (or middle) daughter, and fruition. The four trigrams supposedly move in an endless cycle from "geon" to "ri" to "gon" to "gam" and back to "geon" in their pursuit of perfection.{{cite book|last1=Ludden|first1=Ken|title=Mystic Apprentice Volume 3: Meditative Skills with Symbols and Glyphs Supplemental|date=2010|isbn=9780557728503|page=131|publisher=Lulu.com |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=USQqAgAAQBAJ&q=south+korean+national+flag+taegeuk&pg=PA131|access-date=3 March 2016}}

The white background symbolizes the homogeneity, integrity and purity of the Korean people. For thousands of years, Korean people nearly exclusively wore white clothing. This eventually led to the rise of the nickname "white-clothed people" for Koreans. Therefore, the colour white is often considered associated with the Korean people.{{Cite web |last=박 |first=성수 |title=백의민족 (白衣民族) |trans-title=The White Clothed People |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0022280 |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=Encyclopedia of Korean Culture |language=ko}}

{{See also|Wuji (philosophy)}}File:SamTaegeukFan.jpg

A variant in South Korea is the tricolored {{Transliteration|ko|rr|taegeuk}} (sam·saeg·ui tae·geuk {{lang|ko|삼색의 태극}} or sam·tae·geuk {{lang|ko|삼태극}}), which adds a yellow lobe or pa ({{Korean|hangul=파|hanja=巴|labels=no}}). The yellow portion is taken as representing humanity, in addition to the red and blue representing earth and heaven, respectively.

A rendition of the tricolored {{Transliteration|ko|rr|taegeuk}} also appeared in the official logo of the 1988 Summer Olympics accompanied by the five Olympic rings.{{Cite web |title=Olympic Games Seoul 1988 |url=https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/seoul-1988/logo-design |website=Olympics}}

{{see|Paralympic symbols}}

File:Paralympics logo 1988-94.svg

The first designated Paralympic logo, created for the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, was based on the traditional pa, the spiral or sinusoid components making up the {{Transliteration|ko|rr|taegeuk}} symbol. In March 1992,[http://www.sportmuseum-leipzig.de/Ablage-Zeitung/1+2-2003/Seite6.htm Vom Rehabilitationssport zu den Paralympics] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305103827/http://www.sportmuseum-leipzig.de/Ablage-Zeitung/1+2-2003/Seite6.htm |date=2012-03-05 }} (German), Sportmuseum Leipzig the Paralympic symbol was changed to a version utilizing only three pa. This was not fully adopted until after the 1994 Winter Paralympics in Lillehammer, Norway, since the Lillehammer Paralympic Organizing Committee had by then already started a marketing program based on the five-pa version. The three-pa version remained in place from the close of the Lillehammer Games through the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece.{{cite web|title=New Logo and Motto for IPC|url=http://www.paralympic.org/paralympian/20032/20030201.html|publisher=International Paralympic Committee|access-date=18 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406004147/http://www.paralympic.org/paralympian/20032/20030201.html|archive-date=6 April 2008|date=2003}}[http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/oly@ipc.html International Paralympic Committee - The IPC logo, motto and flag], CRWFlags.com The current Paralympic symbol has morphed the teardrop-shaped pa into more of a swoosh, but still employs three such colour swatches, one each of red, blue, and green.

The logo for the Miss Asia Pacific World Beauty Pageant, which began in Seoul, South Korea in 2011, is another example of the tricolored {{Transliteration|ko|rr|taegeuk}} symbol.

The Government of South Korea unveiled new uniform visual identity for governmental institutions on 15 March 2016, it uses a stylized blue pa with a red arch, representing the country's history and traditions and its vision for the future. This replaced the former Hibiscus syriacus insignia used by government as well as insignia of each government institutions, due to their failure to achieve public awareness and highly costs.{{cite web|first=Han|last=Jeon|title=Government hoists new insignia|url=https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/policies/view?articleId=134565|publisher=Korea.net|access-date=23 July 2024}}{{cite web|first=Woo-young|last=Lee|title= Government introduces new logo|url=https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160315000803|publisher=The Korean Herald|date=15 March 2016|access-date=7 August 2024}}

File:Taegeuk in Naju Hyanggyo.jpg|{{Transliteration|ko|rr|Taegeuk}} pattern painted on the gate of a house in Naju

Image:Coat of arms of 19th century Korea.png|{{Transliteration|ko|rr|Taegeuk}} in the 1899 book Heraldischer Atlas

Image:Sam Taeguk.jpg|Tricolored {{Transliteration|ko|rr|taegeuk}} on a buk drum

Image:청와대 영빈관 내부2 (cropped).jpg|Samtaegeuk on the Reception Hall of the Blue House

Image:Samtaegeuk with Fu Hsi's 8 trigrams.svg|Tricolored {{Transliteration|ko|rr|taegeuk}} encircled by pal gwae.

• Culture of Korea
• Gankyil
• Korean philosophy
• Taegeuk (taekwondo)
• Taekwondo
• Taiji (philosophy)
• Taijitu
• Tomoe
• Yin and Yang

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• [http://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=1997361&cid=42661&categoryId=42661 Taegeuk] at Naver {{in lang|ko}}

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Category:Culture of Korea

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Category:Visual motifs

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