Park Han-sol reports on Korea's financial regulators, along with fintech and insurance. She previously wrote about the art world, from biennales and exhibitions to fairs and auctions, with a focus on Seoul and the figures shaping the scene. Before joining The Korea Times, she spent a year at ABC News' Seoul bureau, contributing to coverage of major Asia-Pacific events.
Century-old Korean national flags to become state-designated treasures
The Denny Taegeukgi, known to be the oldest and the largest surviving version of the Korean national flag / Courtesy of CHA
By Park Han-sol
By Park Han-sol
Since the late 1800s, the national flag Taegeukgi has indeed remained a symbol of Korea's cultural identity as it underwent the trials and tribulations of its turbulent history.
Among them, three flags bearing historical significance will be designated by the state as treasures, the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) announced Thursday, days ahead of the celebration of the 76th National Liberation Day on Aug. 15.
The flags in question are the Denny Taegeukgi, the Taegeuki signed by independence activist Kim Gu (1876-1949) and Jingwan Temple's Taegeukgi ― all produced between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries.
The first Taegeukgi is known to have been created in 1882, and Joseon King Gojong declared it as the official national flag the following year. But with no specific standards yet established, various forms of the flag were produced during that time.
The Denny Taegeukgi, which is the oldest and the largest surviving version of the national flag, is believed to have been created in 1890 or earlier.
It was owned by Owen Nickerson Denny (1838-1900), an American who worked as one of the principal diplomatic advisers for King Gojong until he returned to his home country in 1891. Nine decades later, in 1981, the artifact was donated back to Korea by one of his descendants and is now stored in the National Museum of Korea.
The Taegeukgi signed by independence activist Kim Gu in 1941 / Courtesy of CHA
The Taegeukgi containing the handwritten note by the freedom fighter Kim was given to Belgian priest Charles Meeus in 1941. Meeus subsequently handed it to Helen Ahn, wife of another iconic activist Ahn Chang-ho, in the United States. Years later in 1985, the flag returned home to the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province.
“If you encounter any Korean during your trip, please pass along this message,” Kim's note on the flag reads. “To avoid our sorrowful, homeless state and to enjoy true freedom and bliss, we shall bring down the Japanese force with all our might and resources as Gwangbokgun (Korean Independence Army) and achieve national liberation.”
A Taegeukgi ― presumed to have been used during or after the March 1 Independence Movement in 1919 ― was found in 2009 during the renovation of Jingwan Temple in Eunpyeong District, northwestern Seoul. Courtesy of CHA
Finally, one Taegeukgi was discovered by accident a mere decade ago in 2009 during the renovation of Jingwan Temple in Eunpyeong District, northwestern Seoul. The flag is presumed to have been made around 1919.
The most notable feature of this particular artifact is the fact that it was made by painting over a Japanese flag with black ink, clearly visualizing the spirit of resistance against Japanese imperialism during its 1910-45 occupation of the Korean Peninsula. Its physical state, covered with several holes with one of its corners burnt up, indicates, according to historians, that the flag was likely used during or after the March 1 Independence Movement in 1919.
“The three Taegeukgi flags are regarded as valuable cultural assets that show the first attempt at the creation of the national flag and its subsequent variations,” the CHA said. “They also contain the longing for national liberation as well as the desire to preserve the identity of Koreans during the tumultuous years of the Japanese colonial era.”