Konfuciānisma “Pārmaiņu grāmatas” vizuālie simboli dienvidkorejas Karogā
Visual Symbols of Confucian “Book of Changes” in the Flag of South Korea

Summary/Abstract: The article presents a unique perspective, linking the system of moral and ethical values of Confucianism and traditional ideas of the „Book of Changes” with solcial phenomena and ideas of the change in South Korean life nowadays. The main focus is laid on the symbolism of the flag of South Korea; in the meantime, a number of other examples which relate to the ancient philosophy of changes (such as symmetrical letters of the Korean alphabet, Taekwondo training forms, etc.) are given. In Korean culture, traditional ideas of the Chinese „Book of Changes” have been transformed and reinterpreted by creating an ideal of a harmonious society and a new, transformed world. Examples from contemporary Korean culture show that symbols of the „Book of Changes” are well-known and significant in Korea today and are likely to play an important role in Korean life in the future. At first, the article provides a historically descriptive overview of the spread of Confucianism and Chinese Classics in Korea. Thereafter, visual symbols of the „Book of Changes” in the flag of South Korea are analyzed, explained and interpreted from the semiotic point of view.

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