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Taegeuk

This article is about traditional Korean symbol. For original Chinese cosmological term, see Taiji (philosophy). For the taekwondo poomsae, see Taegeuk (taekwondo).
Not to be confused with Pepsi Globe.
Taegeuk
The taegeuk found on the flag and emblem of South Korea
Korean name
Hangul
태극
Hanja
太極
Revised RomanizationTaegeuk
McCune–ReischauerT'aegŭk

Taegeuk (Korean: 태극; Hanja: 太極, Korean pronunciation: [tʰɛgɯk̚]) is a Sino-Korean term meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity / duality".[1][2] The term and its overall concept is derived from the Chinese Taiji, popularised in the west as the Yin and Yang. The symbol was chosen for the design of the Korean national flag in the 1880s. It substitutes the black and white color scheme often seen in most taijitu illustrations with blue and red, respectively, along with a horizontal separator, as opposed to vertical.

South Koreans commonly refer to their national flag as taegeuk-gi (태극기), where gi (기) means "flag" or "banner".[3] This particular color-themed taegeuk symbol is typically associated with Korean traditions and represents balance in the universe; the red half represents positive cosmic forces, and the blue half represents the complementary or opposing, negative cosmic forces. It is also used in Korean shamanism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.[4][5]

  1. ^ Gukgiwon (국기원) (2005). Taekwondo textbook. Seoul: 오성출판사. p. 303. ISBN 9788973367504. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  2. ^ Rogers, William Elford (1994). Interpreting Interpretation: Textual Hermeneutics as an Ascetic Discipline. University Park, Pa: Pennsylvania State University Press. p. 303. ISBN 9780271010618. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  3. ^ Korean overseas information service (2003). Handbook of Korea (11. ed.). Seoul: Korean Overseas Information Service. p. 568. ISBN 9788973750054. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  4. ^ Kim, Sang Yil; Ro, Young Chan (1984). Hanism as Korean mind : interpretation of Han philosophy. Los Angeles, Calif.: Eastern Academy of Human Sciences. p. 66. ISBN 0932713009. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  5. ^ Korea's Sam-Taegeuk Symbol. san-shin.org, dedicated to the sacred mountains of Korea.

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