Flag of North Korea
Encyclopedia
The flag of North Korea
was adopted on September 8, 1948, as the national flag and ensign
. The red star of Communism
can be seen on this flag on a white disc. The flag was adopted in 1948, when Northern portion of Korea became a Communist state. The traditional Korean flag was red, white, and blue. The country retained these colors (with more prominence given to the red) and added a red star on a white disk. The disk recalls the taegeuk found on the flag of South Korea, and represents the opposing principles of nature. The red stripe expresses revolutionary traditions; the red star is for Communism. The two blue stripes stand for sovereignty, peace and friendship. The white stripes symbolize purity.
A 600-lb (270 kg) North Korean national flag flies from the world's second largest flagpole, which is located at Kijŏng-dong, on the North Korean side of the Military Demarcation Line within the Korean Demilitarized Zone
. The flag-pole is 160m tall.
There are few other known flags in use. There is a flag for the Korean People's Army
, as well as its two subdivisions the Korean People’s Air Force and Korean People's Navy
, which follow a common design but with different colors (blue and white for the Navy and dark blue and light blue for the Air Force). There is also a flag of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea, modeled after similar communist party flags, and a flag for the Supreme Commander of the KPA used by Kim Jong-il
, and has the Supreme Commander
's Arms on a red field.
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
was adopted on September 8, 1948, as the national flag and ensign
Flag terminology
Flag terminology is a jargon used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display.-Description of standard flag parts and terms:...
. The red star of Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
can be seen on this flag on a white disc. The flag was adopted in 1948, when Northern portion of Korea became a Communist state. The traditional Korean flag was red, white, and blue. The country retained these colors (with more prominence given to the red) and added a red star on a white disk. The disk recalls the taegeuk found on the flag of South Korea, and represents the opposing principles of nature. The red stripe expresses revolutionary traditions; the red star is for Communism. The two blue stripes stand for sovereignty, peace and friendship. The white stripes symbolize purity.
A 600-lb (270 kg) North Korean national flag flies from the world's second largest flagpole, which is located at Kijŏng-dong, on the North Korean side of the Military Demarcation Line within the Korean Demilitarized Zone
Korean Demilitarized Zone
The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and...
. The flag-pole is 160m tall.
There are few other known flags in use. There is a flag for the Korean People's Army
Korean People's Army
The Korean People's Army , also known as the Inmin Gun, are the military forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Jong-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...
, as well as its two subdivisions the Korean People’s Air Force and Korean People's Navy
Korean People's Navy
The Korean People's Army Naval Force is the navy of North Korea. The Korean People's Army is made up of the Ground Force, the North Korean Air Force, and the Navy. It was established on June 5, 1946. The navy strength in the 1990s was about 40,000 to 60,000; current strength is at about 46,000...
, which follow a common design but with different colors (blue and white for the Navy and dark blue and light blue for the Air Force). There is also a flag of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea, modeled after similar communist party flags, and a flag for the Supreme Commander of the KPA used by Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
, and has the Supreme Commander
Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army
Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army is the highest post of command of the Korean People's Army, the army of North Korea and is in charge of one of the largest standing armies in the world with around 5.9 million active duty personnel and reserves...
's Arms on a red field.
See also
- North KoreaNorth KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
- Korean Unification Flag
- Flag of South KoreaFlag of South KoreaThe flag of South Korea, or Taegeukgi has three parts: a white background; a red and blue taegeuk in the centre; and four black trigrams, one in each corner of the flag...