Flag of North Korea
A wide red stripe edged with thin white lines and blue stripes at the top and bottom, with a red five-pointed star in a white circle near the flagpole.
At a glance
- Adopted
- September 8, 1948adopted with North Korea's first constitution in 1948; a 2026 constitutional change reportedly made the flag a little shorter (about 20:33 instead of 1:2)
- Capital
- Pyongyang
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- red
- blue
- white
What it means
- Red: revolutionary traditions and the blood of patriots
- White: purity, and the Korean people as one nation with one culture
- Blue: the wish for peace and friendship
- Red star: socialism
Where it came from
After 1945 the Taegukgi, the old Korean flag, was used in both the north and the south of Korea. From 1947 a new flag was designed for the north; North Korean sources now credit Kim Il Sung, and an artist, Kim Chu-gyong, was once officially named as the designer.
Some people involved at the time, such as the interpreter Pak Il, said the design actually came from the Soviet Union, which controlled the north after 1945.
History
The flag replaced the Taegukgi at a ceremony on 10 July 1948 and became official on 8 September 1948, when North Korea's first constitution was passed. A flag law of 1992 fixed its exact design.
It was a long 1:2 flag for most of its history. Reports in 2026 say a constitutional change made it slightly shorter.
Fun facts
- In Kijong-dong, a village by the border with South Korea, a 160-metre pole flies a flag weighing about 270 kg.
- That giant pole was built in reply to a 98-metre flagpole across the border in the South Korean village of Daeseong-dong.
- Some international events have mixed up the North Korean flag with South Korea's by mistake.
Easy to mix up with
South Korea: South Korea's flag is white with a red and blue circle and four black bar patterns
Cuba: Cuba also has blue, white and red with a star, but in five stripes and a red triangle
Questions
What does the flag of North Korea look like?
A wide red stripe edged with thin white lines and blue stripes at the top and bottom, with a red five-pointed star in a white circle near the flagpole.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of North Korea mean?
Red: revolutionary traditions and the blood of patriots; White: purity, and the Korean people as one nation with one culture; Blue: the wish for peace and friendship; Red star: socialism.
When was the flag of North Korea adopted?
The current flag of North Korea was adopted on September 8, 1948. (adopted with North Korea's first constitution in 1948; a 2026 constitutional change reportedly made the flag a little shorter (about 20:33 instead of 1:2))
What colours are on the flag of North Korea?
The flag of North Korea uses red, blue and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of North Korea?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of South Korea. South Korea's flag is white with a red and blue circle and four black bar patterns
Famous landmarks in North Korea
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)