Taegeuk

The diagram has been existent for the majority of written Korean history. The origins of the interlocking-sinusoid design in Korea can be traced to as early as the Goguryeo or Silla period, e.g. in the decoration of a sword, dated to the 5th or 6th century, recovered from the grave of Michu of Silla, or an artifact with the pattern of similar age found in the Bogam-ri tombs of Baekje at Naju, South Jeolla Province in 2008. In the compound of Gameunsa, a temple built in AD 628 during the reign of King Jinpyeong of Silla, a stone object, perhaps the foundation of a pagoda, is carved with the design. Although some theories suggest that the Yin and Yang philosophy from early Chinese civilization may have influenced Gojoseon, there is currently no direct archaeological evidence linking the Taegeuk design itself to this period. Instead, the earliest known artifacts with recognizable Taegeuk or interlocking spiral motifs have been found in the Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla kingdoms, dating from the 5th to 7th centuries. These findings indicate that the Taegeuk motif may have developed independently within the Korean cultural sphere. Today the is usually associated with Korean tradition and represents balance in the universe, as mentioned in the previous section (red is , or positive cosmic forces, and blue is , or negative cosmic forces). Among its many religious connotations (Korean Confucianism; Taoism in Korea; Korean Buddhism), the taegeuk is also present in Korean shamanism. ==Use as National flag==

, also known as the (), has a blue and red in the center. The symbol is most prominently displayed in the center of national flag of the Republic of Korea, called the , literally taegeuk flag (along with four of the eight trigrams used in divination). Because of the Taegeuk's association with the national flag, it is often used as a patriotic symbol, as are the colors red, blue, and black. Though the taegeuk and the trigrams have been used since the earliest periods of Korean history, its use had started earlier in China. The is a Taoist icon which symbolizes cosmic balance, and represents the constant interaction between the yin and yang, also known as eum/yang (). The four trigrams also originated from the I Ching; each of these trigrams represent specific Confucian virtues, cosmic elements, or family roles, in addition to seasons, compass directions, etc. The white background symbolizes the homogeneity, integrity and purity of the Korean people. For thousands of years, Korean people nearly exclusively wore white clothing. This eventually led to the rise of the nickname "white-clothed people" for Koreans. Therefore, the colour white is often considered associated with the Korean people. Prior to 1948, the taeguk was used in northern Korea and has since been replaced by Soviet-inspired communist symbols including the flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. ==Variants==

Tricolored taegeuk A variant in South Korea is the tricolored (sam·saeg·ui tae·geuk or sam·tae·geuk ), which adds a yellow lobe or pa (). The yellow portion is taken as representing humanity, in addition to the red and blue representing earth and heaven, respectively. A rendition of the tricolored also appeared in the official logo of the 1988 Summer Olympics accompanied by the five Olympic rings. Paralympics symbol The first designated Paralympic logo, created for the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, was based on the traditional pa, the spiral or sinusoid components making up the symbol. In March 1992, the Paralympic symbol was changed to a version utilizing only three pa. This was not fully adopted until after the 1994 Winter Paralympics in Lillehammer, Norway, since the Lillehammer Paralympic Organizing Committee had by then already started a marketing program based on the five-pa version. The three-pa version remained in place from the close of the Lillehammer Games through the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. The current Paralympic symbol has morphed the teardrop-shaped pa into more of a swoosh, but still employs three such colour swatches, one each of red, blue, and green. Miss Asia Pacific World The logo for the Miss Asia Pacific World Beauty Pageant, which began in Seoul, South Korea in 2011, is another example of the tricolored symbol. Governmental emblem The Government of South Korea unveiled new uniform visual identity for governmental institutions on 15 March 2016, it uses a stylized blue pa with a red arch, representing the country's history and traditions and its vision for the future. This replaced the former Hibiscus syriacus insignia used by government as well as insignia of each government institutions, due to their failure to achieve public awareness and highly costs. ==Gallery==

File:Taegeuk in Naju Hyanggyo.jpg| pattern painted on the gate of a house in Naju Image:Coat of arms of 19th century Korea.png| in the 1899 book Heraldischer Atlas Image:Sam Taeguk.jpg|Tricolored on a buk drum Image:청와대 영빈관 내부2 (cropped).jpg|Samtaegeuk on the Reception Hall of the Blue House File:Sogo_with_Taegeuk_Pattern_-_Korean_Hand_Drum_(02).jpg|Sogo with taegeuk File:SamTaegeukFan.jpg|Hand fan with a tricolored design File:Emblem of the Government of the Republic of Korea.svg|The stylized government emblem unveiled in 2016. ==See also==