The national flag of North Korea is officially known as Ramhongsaek Konghwagukgi (람홍색공화국기, "Blue and Red Flag of the Republic"). The North Korea flag consists of a wide red panel at its center, framed by thin white stripes and blue bands along the top and bottom edges, with a white circle holding a five-pointed red star on the hoist side. North Korea adopted its flag on September 8, 1948, when the nation was founded.
Standard sources describe North Korea’s flag as a horizontal banner with a 1:2 proportion. The red panel takes up the central four-fifths of the flag's height, establishing its distinctive flag of North Korea proportion. The red star inside the white circle typically connects to socialist ideology and revolutionary ideals. State officials often interpret the color arrangement as representing national sovereignty and unity.
This article explores the North Korea flag meaning, its symbolic significance, historical background, flag’s technical design, and what visitors should know when encountering the flag at official sites and public events.
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Flag of North Korea: Key Takeaways
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Status: The North Korea flag, or Ramhongsaek Konghwagukgi, is the legally defined national flag and state symbol of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
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Visibility: The flag appears on government buildings, monuments, border crossings, transport hubs, and official documents throughout North Korean territory.
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Specification: Its design is a horizontal triband with a wide central red stripe, narrow white borders, blue bands, and a white circle containing a red five-pointed star, fixed at a 1:2 ratio.
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Identification: The North Korean flag is easily recognised by its red star on a white circular background positioned on the hoist side within the red panel.
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Interpretation: Standard sources describe the red panel as representing revolutionary traditions, white stripes as symbolizing purity, and blue bands as expressing sovereignty and peace.
Public Presence of the North Korean Flag
Visitors to North Korea often encounter the national flag within minutes of arrival, from airport terminals to border checkpoints and official city landmarks. At national government complexes, the national flag is typically flown on flagpoles near main entrances, alongside institutional emblems. Travelers commonly notice the North Korea flag at sites such as Kim Il-sung Square, the Arch of Triumph, the Tower of the Juche Idea, and government ministry buildings in the capital of North Korea.
Major transport hubs, including Pyongyang Sunan International Airport and international rail stations, display the flag on rooftops and building entrances. Immigration checkpoints and arrival corridors feature it prominently. Land border crossings use the flag to mark national jurisdiction and entry points.
Public institutions, state universities, and cultural venues raise North Korea’s flag during major national holidays. Additional flags line the streets at organized public gatherings throughout the country.
Within North Korea, municipal buildings and provincial administrative offices often use the flag on outdoor flagpoles during official events and state ceremonies rather than as a constant daily display at every location.
Design and Layout of the North Korea Flag
Standardised state specifications describe the design and layout of the flag of North Korea in clear geometric terms, covering its proportions, North Korea flag colors, and the placement of the star. The following table summarizes the technical specifications of the North Korea flag design.
| Aspect | Specification |
| Orientation | Horizontal triband with hoist on left |
| Colors | Red (revolutionary red), White (purity white), Blue (sovereignty blue) |
| Digital colors | Red: RGB(237, 28, 36), HEX #ED1C24 White: RGB(255, 255, 255), HEX #FFFFFF Blue: RGB(2, 79, 162), HEX #024FA2 |
| Print colors | Red: CMYK(0, 100, 90, 0) White: CMYK(0, 0, 0, 0) Blue: CMYK(100, 70, 0, 10) |
| Color arrangement | Blue stripe (top), white stripe, wide red panel, white stripe, blue stripe (bottom) |
| Emblem placement | White circle with red five-pointed star positioned on hoist side, centered vertically within red panel |
| Proportions | 1:2 ratio; red panel occupies central 4/5 of flag height; white stripes each 1/20 of height; blue bands each 1/12 of height |
Flag of North Korea: Meaning and Symbolism
Standard academic and reference works emphasise that interpretations of the North Korea flag vary by source, particularly regarding political and cultural readings of color and form. Frequently cited interpretations explain that the red panel represents revolutionary spirit and the struggle for independence and socialism. The white stripes are often cited as symbols of purity and the homogeneity of the Korean people. The blue bands are frequently associated with sovereignty, peace, and friendship with other nations pursuing similar ideological paths.
Some commentators, especially in discussions of North Korea old flag designs and historical Korean flags, highlight that earlier flag arrangements on the Korean Peninsula used different color schemes and emblems, noting that modern official usage of the Ramhongsaek Konghwagukgi is framed within post-1948 state ideology.
What the North Korea Flag Represents
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The red panel on the North Korea flag represents revolutionary tradition, anti-imperialist struggle, and commitment to socialist principles in official state publications.
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The white stripes symbolise purity, cultural unity, and the shared heritage of the Korean people in many reference sources.
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The blue bands express national sovereignty, a desire for peace, and solidarity with international socialist movements in standard interpretations.
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The red five-pointed star within the white circle represents state ideology, the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea, and the unity of five social classes under socialism.
How to Identify the Flag of North Korea
At airports, international border crossings, and official signage, the North Korean flag often appears among state emblems, maps indicating where North Korea is, and directional markers. Transport checkpoints, immigration counters, and public information displays may show the design as an indicator for state jurisdiction.
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Look for a horizontal design that shows a wide red central stripe with narrow white borders and blue bands at the top and bottom edges.
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Confirm a white circle sits on the hoist side within the red panel and holds a red five-pointed star.
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Distinguish the North Korea flag by checking that the star sits inside this white circle rather than directly on the red stripe.
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Use the color order of blue, white, red, white, and blue, along with the hoist-side star position, to identify the flag of North Korea among similar Asian flags.
Similar Flags Commonly Confused With the North Korean Flag
While the North Korea flag has a distinctive design, travelers occasionally note visual similarities with other national flags that use red, white, and blue color schemes. The following table highlights these potential points of confusion and the key differences.
| Commonly confused with | Shared visual elements | Key difference |
| Laos Flag | Red horizontal stripe with blue bands and a white circle | The white circle contains no star |
| Taiwan Flag (ROC) | Red field with white and blue elements | White sun appears in a blue canton at the upper hoist. |
| Cuba Flag | Horizontal stripes with a red triangle and a white star | Star sits inside a hoist-side triangle, not a white circle. |
| Myanmar Flag | Horizontal tricolor with red, yellow, green, and white stars | Yellow and green stripes with a centered white star. |
| Historical Korean flags | Red and blue color elements | Use Taeguk symbols and trigrams instead of a star in a circle. |
History of the Flag of North Korea
The history of the North Korea flag traces the development of national symbols on the Korean Peninsula through premodern periods, Japanese colonial rule, and the post-1945 partition. Systematic documentation of the current flag design begins with the establishment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1948.
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Prior to 1945, the Korean Peninsula used the Taegukgi, a flag featuring a circular yin-yang symbol and four trigrams, during the Joseon Dynasty and the Japanese colonial period.
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Between 1945 and 1948, provisional symbols and transitional flags were used in the northern region during the Soviet occupation period.
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On September 8, 1948, the official adoption of the current North Korea flag design upon the state's foundation.
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In 1972, constitutional revision reaffirmed the flag's status and symbolic meaning within the revised state framework.
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In 1992 and 1998, subsequent constitutional amendments maintained the flag's design without modification.
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From the 2000s to the present, continued use of the flag at state events, international forums, and diplomatic missions.
No significant design changes have been made to North Korea old flag since its adoption, maintaining continuity in national symbolism over more than seven decades.
North Korea Flag Etiquette for Visitors: Common Dos and Don'ts
Visitors to North Korea follow clear norms around how the national flag appears in public spaces. Even travelers who explore the top 5 cities to visit in Asia often adjust their behavior to match local expectations while in the country. The table below highlights what travelers commonly do and what they usually avoid.
| Commonly observed | Typically avoided |
| Taking photos of the flag at major monuments. | Capturing tight close-ups that crop the flag. |
| Standing quietly during flag-raising ceremonies. | Wearing clothes that copy the flag design. |
| Watching the flag at government buildings respectfully. | Touching or posing directly with official flags. |
| Noticing the flag at borders and checkpoints. | Comparing its design with other national flags. |
| Listening to guides explain the flag’s symbolism. | Making unsolicited remarks about its colours or symbols. |
Flag of North Korea: Practical Travel Tips for Tourists
The North Korea flag helps travelers understand where they are in official spaces. It often marks key government, border, and airport areas as a clear visual guide.
Practical considerations for travelers include:
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Navigation: Major squares and boulevards where the flag is prominently displayed, such as Kim Il-sung Square and Mansudae Grand Monument, serve as central reference points for organized tours and official events.
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Language: Signage near flag displays is typically in Korean, with limited English translation, making guide assistance valuable for understanding context and directions at official sites.
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Payments: Transactions in tourist-designated facilities typically require foreign currency or approved payment methods, with the state branding and the flag of North Korea sometimes appearing on official receipts and documentation.
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Connectivity: Koryolink operates the primary mobile network with coverage in Pyongyang and major cities, while foreign visitors typically require approved tourist SIM cards with restricted data access to domestic networks only.
Staying Connected in North Korea with SimCorner
Maintaining connectivity during travel to North Korea requires careful planning because mobile networks offer limited international access. Approved tourist SIM cards support voice and SMS inside the country, while data usually connects only to a domestic intranet rather than the global internet.
SimCorner offers Asia eSIM options and Asia SIM cards that help travelers stay connected in transit through nearby countries such as China. These plans support short or long trips without roaming charges, with instant setup, clear pricing, hotspot use, and zero roaming fees. Travelers activate plans before departure and rely on 24/7 online support during the international parts of their journey.
The flag of North Korea functions as a precise visual standard that supports recognition of state institutions, spaces, and official services. Understanding its design helps visitors interpret signage, ceremonies, and official settings while travelling across contemporary North Korea.
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