Taegeuk

Taegeuk (, thɛgɯk̚) is a Korean term meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity / duality". The term and its overall concept is related to the Chinese Taiji (Wade-Giles: T'ai-chi). The symbol was chosen for the design of the Korean national flag in the 1880s. It swaps out the black and white color scheme often seen in most taijitu illustrations and substituting blue and red, respectively, along with a horizontal separator, as opposed to vertical. South Koreans commonly refer to their national flag as (태극기), where gi () means "flag" or "banner". This particular color-themed rr symbol is typically associated with Korean tradition and represents balance in the universe; the red half represents positive cosmic forces, and the blue half represents the complementary or opposing, negative cosmic forces. It is also used in Korean shamanism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. The rr 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 rr 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 rr design. In Gojoseon, the ancient kingdom of Joseon, the design was used to express the hope for harmony of yin and yang. It is likely due to the earliest spread of ancient Chinese culture in Gojoseon, especially during the early Zhou dynasty. Today the rr 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).