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The Korean National Flag
The Korean Flag symbolizes much of the thought, philosophy, and mysticism
of Eastern Asian Countries. The symbol, and sometimes the flag itself,
is called the "Tae Geug" Depicted on the flag is a circle, divided equally,
and blocked in perfect balance. The upper section (red) represents the
Yang, and the lower (blue) represents the Um, an ancient symbol of the
Universe. The two opposites express the Dualism of the cosmos: fire and
water, day and night, dark and light, construction and destruction, masculine
and feminine, active and passive, heat and cold, plus and minus, and so
on.
The central thought in Tae Geug indicates that while there is a constant
movement within the sphere of infinity, there are also balance and harmony.
As a simple example kindness and cruelty may be taken into consideration.
If parents are overly kind to a child, This may seem good, but the may
spoil and weaken the child by being too lenient and not teaching the child
respect and responsibility. Thus, without moderation and discipline excessive
kindness could result in a child becoming an irresponsible and corrupt
adult. Therefore, both aspects discipline and affection must be balanced
when teaching and raising a child.
The three bars at each corner also carry the ideas of opposition and balance.
The three unbroken lines stand for heaven; the opposite three broken lines
represent the earth. At the lower left hand of the flag are two lines
with a broken line between. This symbolizes fire, and the opposite is
the symbol of water.
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