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Korean Unification Flag

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The Korean Unification Flag (Korean: 통일기; lit. Unification Flag), also known as the Flag of the Korean Peninsula (Korean: 조선반도기 or 한반도기), is a flag used to represent all of Korea. When North Korea and South Korea participate as one team at international sporting events, the flag is carried by the unified team. It was introduced at the 1990 Asian Games but not used by a unified team until the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships. It is a white field charged with a sky blue silhouette of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and Ulleungdo. The flag's depiction of Korean territorial claims has earned it the chagrin of Japan, which claims the Liancourt Rocks. The disputed islets were added to the flag in 2003 but removed in 2018 upon the request of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Outside of sports, the flag has been used, particularly in North Korea, to express support for Korean reunification.

Korea
Unification Flag
UseOther Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Reverse side is mirror image of obverse side
Proportion2:3
Adopted1991; 33 years ago (1991)
DesignA white field charged with a sky blue silhouette of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and Ulleungdo
Korean Unification Flag
North Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl통일기 / 조선반도기
Hancha統一旗 / 朝鮮半島旗
Transcriptions
Revised RomanizationTongilgi / Joseonbandogi
McCune–ReischauerT'ongilgi / Chosŏnbandogi
South Korean name
Hangul통일기 / 한반도기
Hanja統一旗 / 韓半島旗
Transcriptions
Revised RomanizationTongilgi / Hanbandogi
McCune–ReischauerT'ongilgi / Hanbandogi

Background and creation

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Korea has been divided along the 38th parallel since the conclusion of World War II with the surrender of Japan on 15 August 1945. Exactly three years later, on 15 August 1948, the American-occupied south established the Republic of Korea, and the Soviet-occupied north followed suit with the proclamation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on 9 September. As separate sovereign states, North Korea and South Korea have since competed at international sporting events with their own teams, although they both claim to be the sole representative of the entire Korean Peninsula.

A detente in inter-Korean relations came during the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing, China, when both countries agreed to compete as a unified team. The "Unification Flag" was conceived amid logistical difficulties with simultaneously raising two flags (i.e. the flag of North Korea and the flag of South Korea).[1] While the unified team effort was not realized, the flag was prominently displayed by an unofficial cheerleading group during the games.[2] The flag made its official debut in 1991, when North Korea and South Korea competed together as a single team at the 41st World Table Tennis Championships in Chiba, Japan.[3]

Design

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The current variation of the flag features a sky blue silhouette of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and Ulleungdo on a white background.[1] The silhouette is a smoothened representation of the actual coastline and northern border with China. According to both Koreas, the shape of Korea is meant to be symbolic rather than precise, and several smaller islands such as Geojedo are visibly omitted.[1] The agreement creating the flag explicitly excluded Korea's westernmost, southernmost, and easternmost islands: Maando, Marado, and Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks), respectively.[4]

Variations

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The original design of the flag featured only the Korean Peninsula and Jeju Island. Ulleungdo was added 2002 and the Liancourt Rocks were added in 2003. Socotra Rock was added to the flag around September 2006, after a dispute between South Korea and China over their exclusive economic zones.[1][3]

Ulleungdo and the Liancourt Rocks were removed in an official capacity at the 2018 Winter Olympics[5][6] and other events in 2018, following pressure from the IOC and Japan. The IOC told South Korea that including the Liancourt Rocks would be viewed as "a political act" and violate the IOC's neutrality, to which South Korea agreed.[1] Japan allegedly pressured South Korea to officially remove Ulleungdo as well, citing the fact that it was on the flag used in Chiba in 1990.[4] Ulleungdo was added back in 2019.

South Korean government policy allows the use of the Liancourt Rocks variation during private events or by people acting in an unofficial capacity, such as cheerleaders. For example, in the 2018 Winter Olympics, the Liancourt Rocks variation was used on the women's ice hockey team's training uniforms, by the North Korean cheerleading groups during the opening ceremony, and during the team's evaluation match five days prior to the opening ceremony (which was hosted by the Korea Ice Hockey Association and not officially part of the Olympic schedule). Japan protested these uses. Additionally, the Liancourt Rocks variation appeared on the team's official uniforms four days before the opening ceremony; BBC reported that it was quickly removed following media attention,[1] while Yonhap News Agency reported that it was not removed until just before the athletes entered the opening ceremony.[7]

Usage

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In sporting events

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Flag at the Seoul World Cup Stadium 2005

The Korean Unification Flag has been officially used at several international events, either for a unified team, or for when the two teams march together in the opening ceremony while competing separately. In addition to international events, inter-Korean sporting events have used the Unification Flag.[8]

At the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing and the 2005 Asian Athletics Championships in Incheon, South Korea, unofficial cheerleading groups also prominently displayed the flag.[2]

The flag was not used in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Not only was a unified team shelved, but the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG)'s plan to make the two Korean teams enter consecutively during the opening ceremony was rejected due to opposition by the North Korean delegation at the last moment.[9]

During the 2018 Winter Paralympics, negotiations were stalled by North Korean officials requesting that the Liancourt Rocks be included on the flag.[10]

Official usage in international sports
Event Location Usage Ulleungdo Liancourt Rocks Socotra Rock Ref
1991 World Table Tennis Championships Chiba, Japan Unified team       [1]
1991 FIFA World Youth Championship Lisbon, Portugal Unified team       [1]
2000 Summer Olympics Sydney, Australia Opening ceremony       [11][1][3][12]
2002 Asian Games Busan, South Korea Opening ceremony       [1]
2003 Asian Winter Games Aomori, Japan Opening ceremony       [1]
2003 Summer Universiade Daegu, South Korea Opening ceremony ? ?   [13]
2004 Summer Olympics Athens, Greece Opening ceremony       [11]
2005 East Asian Games Macau Opening ceremony       [2][14]
2006 Winter Olympics Turin, Italy Opening ceremony       [11]
2006 Asian Games Doha, Qatar Opening ceremony       [15][4]
2007 Asian Winter Games Changchun, China Opening ceremony     ? [16][17][4]
2018 Winter Olympics Pyeongchang, South Korea Unified team       [1][5][6]
2018 World Team Table Tennis Championships Halmstad, Sweden Unified team       [18]
2018 Korea Open Daejeon, South Korea Unified team       [19]
2018 Asian Games Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia Unified team       [4]
2018 Asian Para Games Jakarta, Indonesia Unified team       [20]
2019 World Men's Handball Championship Germany and Denmark Unified team       [21]

In other contexts

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Flag at the Seoul Christmas Festival 2015

According to American Koreanist Brian Reynolds Myers, North Korea and South Korea view the flag in different political contexts. South Koreans view the flag as representing a peaceful relationship and coexistence with North Korea, whereas North Koreans view it as representing a desire to have Korea reunited under the leadership of the North Korean government.[22] In 2010, a large group of North Korean citizens and officials waved the flag when saying goodbye to South Korean Reverend Han Sang-ryol, who was returning to South Korea from North Korea by crossing the Military Demarcation Line at the Korean DMZ. He was immediately arrested upon his return to South Korea.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "한반도기, 화합과 평화의 상징 맞나?" [Is the Korean Peninsula flag the harmony and the symbol of peace?]. BBC. 23 January 2018. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "[뉴스+] 기준 없어 지도·색상 '제각각'…평창 한반도기는 어떨까". 17 January 2018. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Jo, Hailey (19 January 2018). "A history of the unified flag the two Koreas will march under at the Winter Olympics". Quartz. Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e "아시안게임서 독도 들어간 한반도기 사용 어려울 듯" [Asian Games will not be able to use Korean Peninsula with Dokdo]. 7 August 2018. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Olympic Korean Peninsula Declaration" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. 20 January 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Annex B: Korean Unification Flag" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. 20 January 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  7. ^ "[올림픽] IOC, 관중의 한반도기 사용은 사례에 따라 달라". Daum News.
  8. ^ Bairner, Alan; Kelly, John; Lee, Jung Woo, eds. (2016). Routledge Handbook of Sport and Politics. Routledge Handbooks Online. doi:10.4324/9781315761930. ISBN 9781315761930.
  9. ^ Mangan, J. A.; Hong, Fan (18 October 2013). Post-Beijing 2008: Geopolitics, Sport and the Pacific Rim. Routledge. ISBN 9781317966081. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ "'Flag dispute' halts joint Korean march". BBC News. 8 March 2018. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  11. ^ a b c "Two Koreas' 'one flag' emblematic of once better ties". Reuters. 18 January 2018 – via www.reuters.com.
  12. ^ John Gittings (11 September 2000). "Two Koreas will march as one into Olympic stadium". TheGuardian.com.
  13. ^ "2015 SU Update: Both Koreas Marching Together Again after 2003 SU?". FISU.net. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  14. ^ Limited, Alamy. "North Korea and South Korea's athletes enter the field holding hands and waving an unification flag during the opening ceremony of the 4th East Asian Games in Macau October 29, 2005. The regional sporting event, which hosts nine countries and regions, will be held from October 29 through November 6. REUTERS/Paul Yeung Stock Photo – Alamy". www.alamy.com. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  15. ^ Crouch, Alex (22 June 2015). "Korean Unification Flag".
  16. ^ "Asian Winter Games 2007 Changchun" – via www.youtube.com.
  17. ^ "【开幕式】2007长春亚冬会开幕式_哔哩哔哩_bilibili". www.bilibili.com.
  18. ^ "As one, Korea unified, the power of table tennis – International Table Tennis Federation". International Table Tennis Federation. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  19. ^ "Unified Korean mixed doubles team cruises at int'l table tennis event". Yonhap News Agency. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  20. ^ "Indonesia 2018: North and South Korea to march together". Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  21. ^ "Unified Korea to play at GER/DEN 2019". IHF. 2 October 2018. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  22. ^ Myers, Brian Reynolds (7 February 2018). "On the February 8 Parade and the Olympics". Sthele Press. Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  23. ^ "South Korea pastor arrested on return from North visit". BBC. 20 August 2010. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
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