There isn't one single "national color" for Korea. The South Korean flag, the Taegeukgi, incorporates several colors, each with symbolic meaning. These colors are integral to the flag's design and representation of the nation.
The Colors of the Taegeukgi
The Taegeukgi features four main colors:
- White: Represents purity, peace, and the land.
- Red: Represents positive energy, creativity, and the yang (masculine) principle in Taoism.
- Blue: Represents negative energy, passivity, and the yin (feminine) principle in Taoism.
- Black: Found in the four trigrams (also called bagua), representing the eight natural forces and directions.
While the flag uses these four colors, there isn't a single color designated as the national color. The combination of colors together represents the harmonious balance of opposing forces and the holistic nature of the Korean nation.
It's important to note that traditional Korean color theory, Obangsaek, includes five colors: white, black, blue, yellow, and red. However, yellow isn't present on the modern South Korean flag.
The references support the use of red, blue, black, and white on the South Korean flag. While no single color is definitively the "national color," these four are intrinsically linked to the nation's identity and symbolism through the Taegeukgi.
