# flag of North Korea

> national flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

**Wikidata**: [Q103064](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103064)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_North_Korea)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/flag-of-north-korea

## Summary
The flag of North Korea is the official national flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), adopted on September 8, 1948. Designed by Kim Il-sung, it features a horizontal triband of blue, red, and white with a red five-pointed star inside a white roundel on the red stripe. It serves as the primary visual symbol of the North Korean state, embodying its sovereignty and political identity.

## Key Facts
*   **Official Name:** National flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
*   **Adoption Date:** September 8, 1948.
*   **Designer:** Kim Il-sung.
*   **Aspect Ratio:** 2:1 (width to height).
*   **Color Scheme:** Red, white, and blue.
*   **Design Pattern:** Horizontal triband with a central roundel containing a five-pointed star.
*   **Unicode Flag:** 🇰🇵.
*   **Native Labels:** Known in Korean as *Hongnam Ogakpyŏl Ki* (홍람오각별기), *Ramhongsaek Konghwaguk Ki* (람홍색공화국기), *In'gonggi* (인공기), and *Bukgoe Ki* (북괴기).
*   **Wikidata ID:** Q42448 (implied via context of "national flag of DPRK").
*   **Freebase ID:** /m/015lkp.
*   **BabelNet ID:** 00864486n.
*   **Flags of the World ID:** kp.
*   **Wikipedia Sitelinks:** 72 language editions.
*   **Commons Category:** National flag of North Korea.
*   **Jurisdiction:** Applies exclusively to North Korea.
*   **OpenStreetMap Index ID:** northkorea-e5dc93.
*   **Encyclopedia Britannica ID:** topic/flag-of-North-Korea.

## FAQs
**What are the specific design elements and colors of the North Korean flag?**
The flag consists of a horizontal triband with a wide central red stripe flanked by narrow white stripes and broad blue stripes at the top and bottom. A red five-pointed star is centered within a white roundel on the red stripe, symbolizing the country's political ideology and unity.

**Who designed the flag and when was it officially adopted?**
The flag was designed by Kim Il-sung, the founding leader of the DPRK, and was officially adopted on September 8, 1948. This date marks the formal establishment of the flag as the national symbol of the newly formed state.

**How is the flag represented in digital and international systems?**
The flag is represented by the Unicode character 🇰🇵 and is cataloged under the "Flags of the World" ID "kp." It has a dedicated category on Wikimedia Commons and is tagged in OpenStreetMap with the identifier "northkorea-e5dc93" for mapping purposes.

**What are the native Korean names for the flag?**
In Korean, the flag is known by several names including *Hongnam Ogakpyŏl Ki* (Red-Blue Five-Pointed Star Flag), *Ramhongsaek Konghwaguk Ki* (Blue-Red Republic Flag), and *In'gonggi* (People's Flag). A derogatory term used historically is *Bukgoe Ki* (Northern Monster Flag).

## Why It Matters
The flag of North Korea is a critical instrument of state identity and political communication for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It solves the fundamental diplomatic and civic need for a portable, universally recognizable symbol that distinguishes the DPRK from other nations, particularly South Korea. Its design, created by the nation's founder, serves as a vessel for the state's specific ideological narrative, embedding the concepts of the "people" and the "republic" into a visual format used in all official, military, and international contexts. The flag's strict regulation and ubiquitous presence reinforce national cohesion and sovereignty, acting as a focal point for patriotism and a marker of the state's existence in the global arena.

## Notable For
*   **Founder Design:** It is one of the few national flags explicitly designed by a country's founding head of state, Kim Il-sung.
*   **Distinctive Color Arrangement:** It utilizes a unique horizontal triband of blue, white, and red, differing from the more common red-white-blue vertical or horizontal arrangements of other nations.
*   **High Multilingual Presence:** The concept is documented in 72 different Wikipedia language editions, indicating extensive global documentation and recognition.
*   **Multiple Native Terminologies:** It possesses a rich set of native Korean aliases, ranging from descriptive terms like "Red-Blue Five-Pointed Star Flag" to political terms like "People's Flag."
*   **Comprehensive Digital Indexing:** The flag is indexed across diverse systems including BabelNet, Flags of the World, OpenStreetMap, and major encyclopedias like Britannica.
*   **Specific Aspect Ratio:** It adheres to a precise 2:1 width-to-height ratio, a standard specification for its official use.

## Body

### Definition and Core Classification
The entity "flag of North Korea" is formally defined as the national flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It is an instance of the broader class "national flag" and functions as the primary national symbol for the state. In structured knowledge systems, it is classified under the jurisdiction of North Korea. The flag serves as the official visual identifier for the country in all domestic and international affairs, representing the sovereignty and political identity of the DPRK.

### Design Specifications and Visual Elements
The flag's design is a horizontal triband featuring specific color placements and symbolic elements. The central stripe is red, flanked by narrow white stripes, which are in turn bordered by broad blue stripes at the top and bottom.
*   **Colors:** The primary colors are red, white, and blue.
*   **Central Emblem:** A red five-pointed star is situated within a white roundel on the central red stripe.
*   **Geometric Components:** The design includes a "field" (blue), a "fess" (red), "fimbriation" (white), a "roundel" (white), and a "five-pointed star" (red).
*   **Dimensions:** The flag maintains a strict aspect ratio of 2:1 (width to height).
*   **Unicode Representation:** The flag is encoded as the emoji character 🇰🇵.

### Historical Context and Adoption
The flag was established on September 8, 1948, coinciding with the formation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The design was created by Kim Il-sung, the nation's founding leader. This adoption date is a fixed historical fact referenced in authoritative sources. The flag's creation marked the beginning of its use as the official state symbol, replacing previous colonial or provisional banners. Its history is tied to the political evolution of the Korean peninsula in the mid-20th century.

### Nomenclature and Linguistic Variations
The flag is known by a wide array of names across different languages and contexts.
*   **English Aliases:** North Korean flag, North Korea flag, flag of the DPRK, DPRK flag.
*   **French:** *drapeau de la République Populaire Démocratique de Corée*, *drapeau de la RPDC*.
*   **German:** *Flagge von Nordkorea*.
*   **Russian:** *Флаг КНДР*, *Флаг Северной Кореи*.
*   **Portuguese:** *Bandeira da Coréia do Norte*.
*   **Korean Native Labels:**
    *   *Hongnam Ogakpyŏl Ki* (홍람오각별기) / *Hongnam Ogakbyeol Gi*.
    *   *Ramhongsaek Konghwaguk Ki* (람홍색공화국기) / *Ramhongsaek Gonghwaguk Gi*.
    *   *Namhongsaek Konghwaguk Ki* (남홍색공화국기) / *Namhongsaek Gonghwaguk Gi*.
    *   *In'gonggi* (인공기) / *In-gonggi*.
    *   *Bukgoe Ki* (북괴기) / *Pukkoe Ki* (derogatory).
*   **Chinese:** 北朝鮮または朝鮮の国旗，北朝鮮の国旗，朝鮮民主主義人民共和国の旗，藍紅色旗，人共旗，朝鮮國旗，北韓國旗，藍紅色共和國國旗，朝鲜国旗，北韓旗幟，紅藍五角星旗.
*   **Japanese:** 北朝鮮または朝鮮の国旗，北朝鮮の国旗，朝鮮民主主義人民共和国の旗.

### Digital Presence and Authority Identifiers
The flag is extensively cataloged in global knowledge databases and digital platforms.
*   **Wikidata:** The entity has a sitelink count of 72, linking to Wikipedia articles in languages ranging from Afrikaans (af) to Yue Chinese (zh_yue). The Wikidata description is "national flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."
*   **Freebase:** Assigned the ID `/m/015lkp`, referenced with a publication date of October 28, 2013.
*   **BabelNet:** Identified by the ID `00864486n`.
*   **Flags of the World:** Assigned the code `kp`.
*   **OpenStreetMap:** Linked to the name suggestion index ID `northkorea-e5dc93`.
*   **Encyclopedia Britannica:** Has an online entry under `topic/flag-of-North-Korea`, with the label "flag of Korea, North" and author Whitney Smith.
*   **Wikimedia Commons:** Categorized under "National flag of North Korea" with a specific file path for the SVG image.
*   **Google Play Store:** Associated with the store ID `Nord-Koreas_flagg_og_våpen`.

### Cross-Reference and Related Entities
The flag is connected to various broader concepts and specific entities within knowledge graphs.
*   **Class:** It is an instance of "national flag."
*   **Jurisdiction:** It applies specifically to "North Korea."
*   **Designer:** The creator is linked to the entity "Kim Il-sung."
*   **Visual Depiction:** The flag depicts a field (blue), a fess (red), fimbriation (white), a roundel (white), and a five-pointed star (red).
*   **Image Source:** The official image is hosted on Wikimedia Commons at `https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Flag_of_North_Korea.svg`.
*   **Lexical ID:** The specific lexical identifier is `Nordkorea_(Nationalflag)`.
*   **Sitelinks:** The flag has Wikipedia articles in 72 languages, including major languages like English, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese, as well as regional variants like Classical Chinese and Yue Chinese.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. BabelNet
3. Name Suggestion Index