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Korean Unification Flag

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Korean Unification
Proportion2:3
Adopted1991
DesignImage of the Korean Peninsula in solid blue, including the contested Liancourt Rocks, on a white field.
Korean Unification Flag
Hangul
[통일기 or 한반도기 ] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Hanja
[統一旗 or 韓半島旗 ] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Revised RomanizationTong(-)ilgi or Hanbandogi
McCune–ReischauerT'ong'ilgi or Hanbandogi

The Unification Flag is a flag designed to represent all of Korea when North and South Korea participate as one team in sporting events. The background is white. In the center there is a blue silhouette of the Korean peninsula, including Jeju Island to the southwest and Ulleungdo, and the Liancourt Rocks to the east, added in 2003. In the 2018 Winter Olympics, Ulleungdo and the Liancourt Rocks will not be included in the flag.[1][2][3] The flag has no status as an official flag in either country.

Use in field of sport

There was a plan for North and South Korea to compete as one team at the 1990 Asian Games although such efforts could not be realized. Ahead of the 1990 continental meet, the Korean Unification flag was conceived which features a silhouette of the Korean Peninsula including Jeju Island on a plain white field.[4]

The flag was first used in 1991 when the two countries competed as a single team in the 41st World Table Tennis Championships in Chiba, Japan[4] and the 8th World Youth Football Championship in Lisbon, Portugal.

The two countries' teams marched together under the flag in the opening ceremonies of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia; the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea; the 2003 Summer Universiade in Daegu, South Korea;[5] the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece; the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy; and the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar; however, the two countries competed separately in sporting events.

The flag was not used in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Not only was a unified team shelved, even Beijing Olympics Organization Committee (BOCOG)'s plan to make the two Korean teams turn up back to back during the opening ceremony was rejected due to opposition by the North Korean delegation at the last moment.[6]

The unification flag was used again as the two nations marched together at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.[7]

Use in other contexts

Other occasions on which the flag were used include the following:

  • The flag was prominently displayed at the border between the two sides when South Korean president, Roh Moo-hyun, walked into North Korea on an official visit in 2007.[8]
  • In 2010, a large group of North Korean citizens and officials waved the flag when saying goodbye to the South Korean Reverend Han Sang-ryol returning to South Korea from North Korea by crossing the DMZ line, but he was immediately arrested upon his return to South Korea.[9][10]
  • In 2012, a large group of North Korean citizens and officials waved the flag when saying goodbye to Ro Su-hui, vice-chairman of the Reunification of the Fatherland Union (Pomminryon).[11] This was on the occasion of his return to South Korea from North Korea by crossing the DMZ line. Media reports referred to the flag as the “Korea is one” flag.[12] He was immediately arrested upon his return to South Korea and later jailed.[13]

Variations

Usage history of the Korean Unification Flag[1][2][3]
Event Location Jeju Island Ulleungdo Liancourt Rocks
1990 Asian Games Beijing, China
1991 World Table Tennis Championships Chiba, Japan
1991 FIFA World Youth Championship (5 cities), Portugal
2002 Asian Games Busan, S.Korea
2003 Asian Winter Games Aomori, Japan
--- --- --- --- ---
2018 Winter Olympics Pyeongchang, S.Korea

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "한반도기, 화합과 평화의 상징 맞나?" [Is the Korean Peninsula flag the harmony and the symbol of peace?]. BBC. 23 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Olympic Korean Peninsula Declaration" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. 20 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Annex B: Korean Unification Flag" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. 20 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b Jo, Hailey (19 January 2018). "A history of the unified flag the two Koreas will march under at the Winter Olympics". Quartz. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  5. ^ "2015 SU Update: Both Koreas Marching Together Again after 2003 SU?". FISU.net. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  6. ^ Mangan, J. A.; Hong, Fan (18 October 2013). "Post-Beijing 2008: Geopolitics, Sport and the Pacific Rim". Routledge. Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Talmadge, Eric (9 February 2018). "At Olympic Games, Kim Jong Un's sister takes VIP seat". ABC News. AP. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  8. ^ TheUnitedCorea (1 October 2007). "S-Korea President Roh Moo-hyun enters North". Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ stimmekoreas (17 October 2010). "South Korean Pastor in North Korea / Südkoreanischer Pastor in Nordkorea". Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "South Korea pastor arrested on return from North visit". BBC. 20 August 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  11. ^ stimmekoreas (5 July 2012). "S. Korean activist crosses Border in Panmunjom! - Ro Su Hui". Retrieved 18 January 2018 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ Watson, Paul (19 July 2012). "South Korea good, North Korea bad? Not a very useful outlook - Paul Watson". the Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  13. ^ "International Committee for the Release of Mr Ro Su Hu". Retrieved 18 January 2018.
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