A healthy amount of patriotism is an important principle in taekwondo. A student needn't believe in every aspect of their
government or in every action their country takes, but a certain degree of loyalty and respect transcends into other
areas of life. It is not required that students memorize the meanings of the flags, but they should have a good
understanding of them.
American Flag: The fifty stars on the canton represent the fifty states. The thirteen stripes represent the thirteen
original colonies. White signifies purity; red stands for valor, and blue symbolizes justice.
Korean Flag: The Korean flag is called Taegeukgi. Its design symbolizes the principles of um and yang in eastern
philosophy. The four trigrams at the corners (called kwe in Korean) also represent the concepts of opposites and
balance. The trigrams are heaven (upper left), earth (lower right), water (upper right), and fire (lower left). The
trigrams are stationed across from their apposing element--heaven being across from earth, and water across from fire.
government or in every action their country takes, but a certain degree of loyalty and respect transcends into other
areas of life. It is not required that students memorize the meanings of the flags, but they should have a good
understanding of them.
American Flag: The fifty stars on the canton represent the fifty states. The thirteen stripes represent the thirteen
original colonies. White signifies purity; red stands for valor, and blue symbolizes justice.
Korean Flag: The Korean flag is called Taegeukgi. Its design symbolizes the principles of um and yang in eastern
philosophy. The four trigrams at the corners (called kwe in Korean) also represent the concepts of opposites and
balance. The trigrams are heaven (upper left), earth (lower right), water (upper right), and fire (lower left). The
trigrams are stationed across from their apposing element--heaven being across from earth, and water across from fire.
| Meanings of the American and Korean Flags |
