National symbols of South Korea
The national symbols of South Korea are official and unofficial flags, icons, or cultural expressions that are emblematic, representative, or otherwise characteristic of South Korea (the Republic of Korea) and of its culture. Since the division of the Korean peninsula in 1948, South Korea has retained traditional symbols to distinguish from the national symbols of North Korea.
Symbols
[edit]| Type | Symbol | Image | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flag | Flag of South Korea |  |
The flag is known as the Taegeuki. It features a red and white taegeuk and four black trigrams.[1] |
| Emblem | Emblem of South Korea |  |
The original version of the emblem was announced on 10 December 1963.[2][3][4][5] The emblem is known as the Gukga Munjang or Gukjang, and features a taegeuk surrounded by mugunghwa petals.[6] |
| National anthem | Aegukga 애국가 |
.svg) |
The term "aegukga" may generically refer to any patriotic song, but most often refers to the national anthem. The lyrics were written around 1907. The song was originally set to the tune of the Scottish folk song Auld Lang Syne, but new music was chosen in 1945.[7] |
| Folk song | Arirang 아리랑 |
Arirang is a traditional Korean folk song that is included on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage as a symbol of both South Korea and North Korea.[8][9] | |
| Seal | National seal Guksae |
|
The Guksae is a square seal that is stamped on important documents and represents governmental authority. The current version of the seal has been in use since October 25, 2011. The handle of the seal features a pair of sculpted phoenixes.[10] |
| National motto | Hongik Ingan | Hongik Ingan (Korean: 홍익인간) is the official educational motto of South Korea.[11] The phrase can be translated to English as "To broadly benefit the human world".[12] | |
| National tree | Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora) |
T.Wang_ex_Cheng.JPG) |
The Korean red pine is not an official symbol, but is often unofficially regarded as the national tree of South Korea.[13] |
| National flower | Mugunghwa |  |
The Mugunghwa has been a symbol of Korea since ancient times.[14] |
| National bird | Korean magpie (Pica serica) |
.jpg) |
The magpie was chosen as the national bird of South Korea in 1964.[15] |
| National animal | Korean tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) |
 |
The Korean tiger is a historical and cultural symbol of the Korean peninsula and is important in traditional Korean culture.[16] |
| National currency | South Korean won | 
|
The South Korean won was introduced in 1902. It was replaced by the hwan in 1952, but the won was reintroduced in 1962.[17] |
| Patron saint | Andrew Kim Taegon | 
|
Andrew Kim Taegon was Korea's first Catholic priest[18] and is the Catholic patron saint of Korea.[19] |
| National sport | Taekwondo |  |
Taekwondo was officially designated as South Korea's national martial art in 2018.[20] |
| National dish | Kimchi |  |
Kimchi has been a staple of Korean cuisine for centuries, and is regarded as the national dish of South Korea.[21] |
| National drink | Soju |  |
The national drink of South Korea is soju, a grain-based spirit often served in shot glasses.[22] |
References
[edit]- ^ "The National Flag - Taegeukgi". www.mois.go.kr. Archived from the original on 2025-06-20. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Korea (2017). National Symbols of the Republic of Korea: Uniting People and Elevating National Pride. Seoul: Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Korea. pp. 10–11. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
- ^ "우리나라 국가상징> 나라문장". Archived from the original on 2022-12-24. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ Myers, Brian Reynolds (2011). "North Korea's state-loyalty advantage". Free Online Library. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
The state emblem (adopted in 1963) is a taegeuk symbol on a rose of Sharon--another purely racial symbol.
- ^ 관보 [Official Gazette]. Government of the Republic of Korea. 10 December 1963. pp. 25–26. Archived from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "The National Emblem - Nara Munjang". www.mois.go.kr.
- ^ "The National Anthem - Aegukga". www.mois.go.kr. Archived from the original on 2025-06-25. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ Chung, Ah-young (12 December 2012). "'Arirang' makes it to UNESCO heritage". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ "N. Korea's Arirang wins UNESCO intangible heritage status". Yonhap News Agency. 27 November 2014. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ "The National Seal - Guksae". www.mois.go.kr.
- ^ "교육기본법". www.law.go.kr. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- ^ "A New Way of Seeing Country Social Responsibility" (PDF). Faculty of Philosophy and Social-Political Sciences. Alexandru Ioan Cuza University: 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ Matthews, Jill. "Sonamu, Pinus densiflora". dendrology.org.
- ^ "The National Flower - Mugunghwa". www.mois.go.kr. Archived from the original on 2025-06-25. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "What is Korea's national bird?". The Environmental Literacy Council. 2025-04-11. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ Yi, Eunkyung (2025-01-24). "Thinking Through the Tiger: Korean Cultural Identity, Space, and Time". Humanities. 14 (2): 19. doi:10.3390/h14020019. ISSN 2076-0787.
- ^ "South Korean Won (KRW)". Corporate Finance Institute. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "The story of Korea's first Catholic priest-martyr premieres at the Vatican". Rome Reports. 2022-11-26. Archived from the original on 2025-06-17. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ Pinedo, Peter. "Statue of Korea's patron saint to be permanently installed at St. Peter's Basilica". Catholic News Agency. Archived from the original on 2025-04-26. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "Korea officially designates taekwondo as nat'l martial art". The Korea Herald. 2018-04-02. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ Sims, Calvin (2000-02-05). "Cabbage Is Cabbage? Not to Kimchi Lovers; Koreans Take Issue With a Rendition Of Their National Dish Made in Japan (Published 2000)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "Soju Is the Best-Selling Liquor in the World. Do You Know What It Is?". Good Housekeeping. 2023-04-10. Archived from the original on 2025-04-09. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
