The National Emblem of the Republic of Korea (;

Hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...

: , ) consists of the ''

taegeuk ''Taegeuk'' (, ) is a Korean term cognate with the Chinese term '' Taiji'' ( Wade-Giles spelling: ''T'ai-chi''), meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity / duality". The symbol was chosen for the desig ...

'' symbol present on the South Korean national flag surrounded by five stylized petals and a ribbon bearing the inscription of the official Korean name of the country (''Daehan Minguk''), in Korean characters. The Taegeuk represents peace and harmony. The five petals all have meaning and are related to South Korea's national flower, the ''

Hibiscus syriacus ''Hibiscus syriacus'' is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is native to Korea, and south-central and southeast China, but widely introduced elsewhere, including much of Asia. It was given the epithet ''syriacus'' b ...

'', or

Rose of Sharon Rose of Sharon is a name that has been applied to several different species of flowering plants that are valued in different parts of the world. It is also a biblical expression, though the identity of the plant referred to is unclear and is dis ...

( ko, 무궁화;

: 無窮花, ''mugunghwa''). The emblem was adopted on 10 December 1963. The flower and yin-yang symbols are generally considered by South Koreans to be symbolic of the " Korean race" (, ).

Gallery

File:Seal of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.svg, Seal of

Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea The Korean Provisional Government (KPG), formally the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, was a partially recognized Korean government-in-exile based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the period of Japanese c ...

(1919–1948) File:Emblem of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.svg, Emblem of the

(1919–1948) File:Coat of arms of the People's Republic of Korea.svg, Emblem of the

People's Republic of Korea The People's Republic of Korea (PRK) was a short-lived provisional government that was organized at the time of the surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of World War II. It was proclaimed on 6 September 1945, as Korea was being divided ...

(1945–1946) File:Seal of the United States Army Military Government in Korea.svg, Seal of the

United States Army Military Government in Korea The United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK) was the official ruling body of the Southern half of the Korean Peninsula from 8 September 1945 to 15 August 1948. The country during this period was plagued with political and eco ...

(1945–1948) File:Emblem of South Korea (1948–1963).svg, Emblem of South Korea (1948–1963) Seal of South Korea (1949–1962).svg,

National seal A seal is a device for making an impression in wax, clay, paper, or some other medium, including an embossment on paper, and is also the impression thus made. The original purpose was to authenticate a document, or to prevent interference with a ...

(1949–1962) File:Emblem of South Korea (1963–1997).svg, Emblem of South Korea (1963–1997) Seal of South Korea (1963–1999).svg, National seal (1963–1999) File:Seal of the President of the Republic of Korea.svg, Seal of the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

, with two phoenixes facing each other over a rose of Sharon File:Emblem of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea.svg, Emblem of the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

: A

rose of Sharon Rose of Sharon is a name that has been applied to several different species of flowering plants that are valued in different parts of the world. It is also a biblical expression, though the identity of the plant referred to is unclear and is dis ...

enclosed by another File:Emblem of the National Assembly of Korea.svg, Emblem of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...

: The word "국회" meaning 'National Assembly' ( / in

) appears in Korean characters in the center of a rose of Sharon Seal of South Korea (1999–2008, 2010–2011).svg, National seal (1999–2008, 2010–2011) Seal of South Korea (2008–2010).svg, National seal (2008–2010) Seal of South Korea.svg, National seal (2011–present) File:Emblem of the Government of the Republic of Korea.svg, Emblem of the National Government, a stylized Taegeuk (2017–present) File:KOR ePassport.jpg,

South Korean passport The Republic of Korea passport ( ko, 대한민국 여권, Daehan Minguk yeogwon), commonly referred to as the South Korean passport, is issued to a South Korean citizen to facilitate their international travel. Like any other passport, South K ...

References

External links

Office of the PresidentOffice of the Prime Minister

Korea.net
National symbols of South Korea

Korea, South South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

Korean heraldry {{Heraldry-stub

Gallery

See also

References

External links