Upon its
liberation
in 1945 and subsequent foundation in 1948,
North Korea
adopted
national symbols
distinct from the
national symbols of South Korea
. The traditional flag of Korea, the
Taegukgi
, and the symbol
Taeguk
, were swapped for
socialist symbols
.
Some of the symbols of North Korea?
the national emblem
,
flag
,
anthem
and capital?are defined in the
constitution of North Korea
, while others such, as the national sport
Ssirum
or the national dish
kimchi
, are traditional. Some traditional symbols are shared with the South but with different connotations.
Mount Paektu
, for instance, is recognized as the symbol of
Korea
across the peninsula, but North Koreans revere it as the birthplace of
Kim Jong Il
. Some North Korean symbols are complemented with symbols for the ruling
Kim family
. For example, the
Magnolia sieboldii
is the
national flower
but the hybrid orchids
Kimilsungia
and
Kimjongilia
are also respected.
Constitutionally defined symbols
[
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]
Chapter VII of the
Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
defines the emblem, flag, anthem and capital of North Korea, while the head of state is stipulated by article 117 of chapter VI.
[1]
National emblem
[
edit
]
The national emblem of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea bears the design of a grand hydroelectric power station under Mt. Paektu, the sacred mountain of the revolution, and the beaming light of a five-pointed red star, with ears of rice forming an oval frame, bound with a red ribbon bearing the inscription "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea."
Article 169 of the Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1972, amended 2013)
[1]
The present
emblem of North Korea
was adopted on 9 September 1948, on the
Day of the Foundation of the Republic
. It features a hydroelectric plant and the design was,
[2]
much like the flag,
[3]
probably commissioned by the Soviets. The design was amended in 1993 to feature, under the
red star
,
Mount Paektu
? in itself an important symbol of Korea
[2]
? which North Korea considers the birthplace of
Kim Jong Il
.
[4]
National flag
[
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]
The national flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea consists of a central red panel, bordered both above and below by a narrow white stripe and a broad blue stripe. The central red panel bears a five-pointed red star within a white circle near the hoist.
The ratio of the width to the length is 1:2.
Article 170 of the Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1972, amended 2013)
[1]
The
flag of North Korea
was designed in 1948 and adopted the same year to replace
Taegukgi
, the traditional flag. The
Taeguk
symbol thus only remained in
the flag
and
emblem of the South
.
[3]
The colors of the North Korean flag ? red, white and blue ? are considered
national colors
and symbolize respectively: the sacrifice of the people who fought for
independence
; purity, honesty, and dignity; and the revolutionary spirit of the Koreans.
[5]
National anthem
[
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]
The national anthem of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is "The Patriotic Song."
Article 171 of the Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1972, amended 2013)
[1]
The
national anthem
is
"
Aegukka
"
(
Korean
for 'The patriotic song'), written by
Pak Se-yong
and composed by
Kim Won-gyun
in 1946. Musically, it is similar to
South Korea
's national anthem, spelled "
Aegukga
".
[6]
The first stanza of the song aims to show the dignity, pride and love to their country while the second is about the will to have Korea as a powerful, independent nation.
[5]
The folk song "
Arirang
" is known as the "unofficial national anthem of Korea".
[7]
North and South Korea have submitted it separately to
UNESCO
's
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
.
[7]
Capital
[
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]
The capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is Pyongyang.
Article 172 of the Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1972, amended 2013)
[1]
The first 1948 constitution defined
Seoul
? the present capital of
South Korea
? as the
capital city
. In order to have succeeded in realizing this, the South Korean regime would have had to be removed.
In 1972 the constitution was revised and
Pyongyang
designated as the capital.
Head of state
[
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]
The President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly represents the State and receives the credentials and letters of recall of diplomatic representatives accredited by foreign countries.
Article 117 of the Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1972, amended 2013)
[1]
The
head of state of North Korea
has been the
President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly
since 1998.
The post was held by
Kim Yong-nam
since its current inception until the 11th of April 2019 when
Choe Ryong-hae
took the position.
Animals and plants
[
edit
]
North Korea has no official
national animal
, but the mythological winged horse
Chollima
is taken to be a national symbol.
North Korean
Siberian tigers
are considered unofficial symbol of both Koreas as it represent the Korean people and nation.
[12]
The
national dog
is the
Pungsan dog
. Pungsan is named after what was once Phungsan County (now
Kimhyonggwon County
) in
Ryanggang Province
. It has been bred as a hunting dog. Recently, efforts to conserve and proliferate the breed have been taken.
The
national bird
is the
northern goshawk
(
Accipiter gentilis
).
[14]
The bird inhabits the northern and central parts of the peninsula and sometimes migrates to the southern part of the country in winter. Historically, Koreans have used the goshawk to hunt pheasants, pigeons and hares
[15]
and killing a hawk was considered a dishonourable act.
The
national flower
is the
Magnolia sieboldii
.
[17]
Within North Korea, the flower can be found everywhere except for
North Hamgyong Province
,
Ryanggang Province
and
Chagang Province
.
[5]
Two orchid hybrids are also significant:
Kimilsungia
and
Kimjongilia
.
They are both considered unofficial national flowers.
The
national tree
is
pine
(
Pinus densiflora
).
[21]
[22]
Pines are considered beautiful aspects of scenery and have been featured in Korean visual arts since ancient times.
[23]
Pine trees are considered to be one of the ten symbols associated with longevity.
The behaviour of the pine tree in winter is also seen as a symbol of a resolute will.
Earlier,
Kim Hyong-jik
, the father of Kim Il Sung, had composed a poem: "
Green Pine on Nam Hill
" to promote liberation of the country.
[23]
Others
[
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]
The
national day
on 9 September is the
Day of the Foundation of the Republic
, a
public holiday
that commemorates the date when Kim Il Sung appointed a cabinet in 1948.
[25]
Both the
birthplace of Kim Il-sung
at
Mangyongdae
and the
Juche
Tower
are considered
national monuments
.
[26]
[27]
The
national dish
is
kimchi
, a spicy, fermented vegetable dish.
[28]
North Korean kimchi tends to be less spicy than its Southern counterpart.
[29]
Both are inscribed on
UNESCO
's
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
.
[30]
The national liquor is
Pyongyang Soju
.
The traditional
Choson-ot
(
hanbok
) is the
national dress
.
[32]
The
national sport
is
Ssirum
, traditional Korean wrestling, but the martial art
Taekwondo
is important, too.
[33]
Kim Il Sung
, founder and
president
of the modern North Korean state and his successor
Kim Jong Il
are considered
national heroes
if not
personifications
.
The
Order of Kim Il Sung
and the
Order of Kim Jong Il
are the highest
orders of merit
of the country.
[35]
Cho Ki-chon
is considered a
national poet
.
[36]
Mount Paektu
is recognized as a symbol of Korea in the North and South alike, but North Korea has attached special significance to it by claiming that it is the birthplace of Kim Jong Il.
Tangun
, who is considered the
founder
-king of the Korean nation, is also said to be born at Mount Paektu and is celebrated in North Korea especially. In 1993 North Korean archaeologists located and dated remains in a tomb that they declared
Tangun's grave
.
[4]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(PDF)
. Pyongyang:
Foreign Languages Publishing House
. 2014.
ISBN
978-9946-0-1099-1
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 8 June 2016.
Amended and supplemented on April 1, Juche 102 (2013), at the Seventh Session of the Twelfth Supreme People's Assembly.
- ^
a
b
Tertitskiy, Fyodor (23 September 2014).
"The Evolution of North Korea's Coat of Arms"
.
Daily NK
. Retrieved
30 September
2015
.
- ^
a
b
Tertitskiy, Fyodor (20 June 2014).
"Kim Tu Bong and the Flag of Great Extremes"
.
Daily NK
. Retrieved
30 September
2015
.
- ^
a
b
Pratt, Keith (2007).
Everlasting Flower: A History of Korea
. London: Reaktion Books. p. 33.
ISBN
978-1-86189-335-2
.
- ^
a
b
c
"National Symbols"
.
Naenara
.
- ^
Hoare, James E. (13 July 2012).
Historical Dictionary of Democratic People's Republic of Korea
. Plymouth: Scarecrow Press. p. 273.
ISBN
978-0-8108-7987-4
.
- ^
a
b
"N. Korea's Arirang wins UNESCO intangible heritage status"
. Yonhap. 27 November 2014
. Retrieved
25 November
2015
.
- ^
"Horang-i"
虎狼이
[Tiger].
Encyclopedia of Korean Culture
(in Korean)
. Retrieved
8 January
2010
.
- ^
"Protection of Goshawk Active in DPRK"
.
Naenara
.
Korean Central News Agency
. 5 March 2016
. Retrieved
6 March
2016
.
- ^
"Goshawk, National Bird of Korea"
. KCNA. 21 April 2014
. Retrieved
22 September
2015
– via KCNA Watch.
- ^
Lim, Reuben C. J. (29 June 2013).
"Floral Emblems of the world"
. Australian National Herbarium, Australian National Botanic Gardens
. Retrieved
9 September
2016
.
- ^
"North Korea Newsletter 360 (April 30, 2015)"
. Yonhap. 30 April 2015
. Retrieved
22 September
2015
.
- ^
Han Su-yong (2016).
Understanding Korea
(PDF)
. Vol. 3: Politics. Pyongyang:
Foreign Languages Publishing House
.
ISBN
978-9946-0-1406-7
.
- ^
a
b
"Pine Tree Symbolic of Spirit of DPRK"
. KCNA. 24 April 2015. Archived from
the original
on 7 July 2015
. Retrieved
22 September
2015
.
- ^
Tertitskiy, Fyodor (9 September 2015).
"The Soviet strategy behind NK's Foundation Day"
.
Daily NK
. Retrieved
30 September
2015
.
- ^
Cornell, Erik (2005).
North Korea Under Communism: Report of an Envoy to Paradise
. Translated by Bradbury, Rodney. London: Routledge. p. 123.
ISBN
978-1-135-78822-3
.
- ^
Lerner, Mitchell (2008).
"Making Sense of the 'Hermit Kingdom': North Korea in the Nuclear Age"
.
Origins
.
2
(3)
. Retrieved
5 October
2015
.
- ^
Becker, Jasper (2005).
Rogue Regime: Kim Jong Il and the Looming Threat of North Korea: Kim Jong Il and the Looming Threat of North Korea
. USA: Oxford University Press. p.
121
.
ISBN
978-0-19-803810-8
.
- ^
North Koreans Want UNESCO Recognition for Their Kimchi Variation
. Voice of America. 2 December 2015. Event occurs at 1:10
. Retrieved
3 December
2015
– via YouTube.
- ^
"UNESCO Adds N. Korea's Kimchi-Making to Cultural Heritage List"
. KBS. 3 December 2015. Archived from
the original
on 14 April 2021
. Retrieved
3 December
2015
.
- ^
French, Paul (2007).
North Korea: The Paranoid Peninsula: A Modern History, Second Edition
(2 ed.). London / New York: Zed Books. p. 42.
ISBN
978-1-84277-905-7
.
- ^
Behnke, Alison (2005).
North Korea in Pictures
. Twenty-First Century Books. p. 117.
ISBN
978-0-8225-1908-9
.
- ^
"Order of Kim Jong Il Instituted"
. KCNA. Archived from
the original
on 12 October 2014
. Retrieved
6 June
2012
.
- ^
企劃 記事 [9.9節 訪北取材-6]<白頭山은 亦是 革命의 城山>
(in Korean).
Korean American National Coordinating Council
. 23 September 2008
. Retrieved
10 November
2020
.
Works cited
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Further reading
[
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]
External links
[
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]