The Korean flag was adopted in August of 1882. This flag symbolizes much of the thought, philosophy and mysticism of the Orient. The central theme of the flag is that although there is constant movement within the sphere of infinity, there is always balance and harmony. The flag consists of three parts: a white field or background, a red and blue circle in the center of the flag (called Tae-Guk), and four black "tri-grams" surrounding the circle in each of the four corners of the flag.

The white background represents purity and innocence. The red portion of the Tae-Guk represents the Korean concept of Yang, or the positive or male aspects of nature. The blue portion represents the concept of Um, or the negative, dark, or female aspects of nature. The Korean 'Um-Yang' principles are identical to the Chinese 'Yin-Yang' or to the Japanese 'In-Yo'.

The four black tri-grams come from the Chinese book of "I Ch'ing". The tri-grams also represent the ideas of balance and harmony. Each tri-gram has a specific name and represents it's own concepts. In the upper left-hand corner is "K'un" which represents heaven, east, and spring. In the lower right-hand corner is "K'on" representing earth, west, and summer. The tri-gram in the upper right-hand corner is "Kam" which represents water, north, and winter. And lastly, "Ee" in the lower left-hand corner represents fire, south, and autumn.