[Book Excerpt] The Truth Behind North Korea's Flag: Kim Il Sung Had a Different Vision

Editor's NoteSome sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others immediately resonate with readers and create a point of connection with the book. Here, we introduce such meaningful sentences excerpted from various books.

"A flag is a miniature of history." This book traces the evolution of national flags and banners, which are deeply intertwined with thousands of years of human history. Through over 200 flags and symbols, it sheds light on each nation's past and present. Dmytro Dubilet, who served as a cabinet minister in Ukraine, introduces the tumultuous and passionate journey of humanity that has unfolded beneath the flags.

Another unexpected incident related to the French flag occurred in 1873. This story is quite unusual in the world of vexillology, as in most cases, a national flag is the result of a historical event, not its cause. That year, France decided to give monarchy another chance after overthrowing Napoleon III and the Paris Commune. The parliament offered the throne to Henri, Count of Chambord, a descendant of the Bourbon dynasty. However, Henri refused the tricolor flag, which symbolized the French Revolution, and demanded the restoration of the fleur-de-lis flag as the national flag. The parliament proposed a compromise: either include the fleur-de-lis in the white stripe at the center of the tricolor, thus representing both the Revolution and absolute monarchy, or keep the tricolor as the national flag and use the fleur-de-lis flag as the royal standard. For Count of Chambord, however, this was unacceptable. In the end, he refused the throne, the restoration of the monarchy collapsed, and France remained a republic. - 01 Tricolor Flags Around the World, pp. 21-23

Denmark's national flag law is also quite unique. Generally, most countries strictly prohibit acts of flag desecration, but Denmark bans the burning of any foreign flag while allowing exceptions for its own. Similarly, in Japan, there is no law against desecrating the Hinomaru, but there are laws against desecrating foreign flags. Some might wonder why anyone would want to burn the flag of this peaceful Nordic country. However, in 2006, the Danish flag became one of the most frequently burned flags in the world, possibly even surpassing the Stars and Stripes of the United States. This was because, at that time, a Danish newspaper published a satirical cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad, prompting radical Islamic groups to protest and hold demonstrations around the world. - 04 If a Cross Appears on a Flag, pp. 95-96

It is particularly intriguing that Albania uses the Christian Byzantine eagle on its national flag, given that the majority of its population is Muslim. The pagan eagle of ancient Rome not only became widespread on Christian countries' flags but also found its way onto Islamic flags. Isn't this kind of cross-religious borrowing truly fascinating? - 5 The Eagle That Flew from Rome, p. 138

Later, the sun on the Argentine flag was changed to a bright red color, and a red cap known as the Phrygian cap appeared in the four corners of the flag. The evolution of the papal hat from the Phrygian cap, which was covered earlier, is a notable story. The Phrygian cap, a cute, conical headpiece, has been used since ancient times. In Phrygia, it was a tradition to place this cap on the heads of slaves who had gained their freedom, and it eventually became a symbol of liberty and emancipation. Initially, it symbolized the American independence struggle, and later became an emblem in the French Revolution and numerous wars of liberation in Latin America. - 6 The Tango of Flags, p. 162

The flag of North Korea was adopted in 1948, which corresponds to Juche year 37 (using the calendar that starts from 1912, the birth year of Kim Il Sung, the founding communist leader). North Korea officially claims that Kim Il Sung personally designed the flag, but in reality, they had wished to continue using the Taegukgi, the flag used before the division. However, the Soviet Union, viewing the ancient Buddhist symbols on the Taegukgi as superstition, was dissatisfied and ultimately designed a new red flag with a five-pointed star in Moscow and sent it to Pyongyang. It was only natural that the Soviet Union wanted to intervene in North Korea's flag design, as it was a strictly atheist state determined to eradicate all religious symbolism. - 9 The World of Five-Pointed Stars, pp. 231-232

The national flag of Qatar has two unique features. First, it is the only national flag in the world whose length is more than twice its height (with a ratio of 28:11). Second, it uses a maroon color not found on any other national flag. There is an interesting story behind this. Historically, Qatar was a major producer of purple dye made from shellfish, so it was natural for this color to be used on the first Qatari flag. However, over time, the intense desert heat caused the purple to fade into maroon. Qatar decided not to fight nature and officially designated maroon as its national color. - 3 Pan-Arab Colors, pp. 319-320

In 1999, Japan passed the Act on National Flag and Anthem, officially designating the Hinomaru as the national flag. The law was prompted by the suicide of a school principal amid conflict between teachers and school boards over the practice of starting the day with the national anthem and flag-raising. The flag remains a painful scar in Japanese society. Although the Hinomaru has gained official status, news of teachers being fined or even dismissed for refusing to comply with the flag law continues to surface in the media. - 15 If the Sun Appears on a Flag, p. 345

Fluttering Through World History | Written by Dmytro Dubilet | Translated by Han Jiwan | Willbook | 388 pages | 22,000 KRW