Traditional Korean Colors
The Korean flag embodies four of the cardinal colors.
Traditionally, Koreans incorporated five cardinal colors into many aspects of daily life and tradition. The cultural integration of color stems from principles of Eastern religions such as Confucianism and Buddhism. The cardinal colors are associated with the five directions and elements. They often appear in Korean clothing, celebrations, martial arts, architecture, art, food and symbols. A sixth color, green, has also grown to have cultural significance in Korea.
WhiteWhite is the most commonly used color in Korea. Koreans were sometimes referred to as "the white clad people." Historically, commoners wore white hanboks, a traditional Korean form of attire. Only royalty and the upper class were permitted to wear colorful hanboks. White is still worn for weddings, new years celebrations and funerals to celebrate the journey to the afterlife. The color white symbolizes purity, innocence, peace and patriotism. Traditionally, white represents the element metal and the direction West.
BlackThe color black is associated with mastery and the ending point of a cycle in Korea. Black represents the darkness after mastery has been achieved, the place beyond light. However, because Koreans believe that everything is based on a balance of opposites, darkness is also necessary as an origin for light. Black corresponds with the element of water and the direction North.
BlueThe color blue is associated with the element wood and the direction East. In the Korean flag, blue symbolizes eum or yin, which is cool, feminine energy. Eum energy is associated with the moon and is passive, yielding and receptive. Blue is balanced by red in the Korean flag. While red represents the passionate energy of life, blue represents its opposite, death.
RedTraditionally red is associated with fire and the southern direction. Red is symbolized by yin energy, which represents masculine energy, the sun and the life force. In the Korean flag, red is balanced by its opposite color, blue. The color red also symbolizes passion and, historically, it was inappropriate for Koreans to wear the color red. However, in modern Korea, red is associated with a passion for sports and it is common to wear red to sporting events to show support.
YellowThe color yellow symbolizes earth and the center direction. Yellow represents the starting point for developing knowledge and expanding the mind. As one of the five cardinal colors, yellow was traditionally worn, along with the other four colors, as part of a stripe on Korean clothing. Wearing the five-color stripe was historically thought to give children and royalty protection from evil spirits.
GreenBlue and green were traditionally represented by a single word in Hangul, the Korean language. Western influence brought a change in the view that green and blue are variations of a single color and separate words for each color now exist in Hangul. Currently, the color green symbolizes prosperity, a fresh start and auspicious beginnings. Many Korean storefronts are green to draw prosperity and success to the business.
Yin-Yang and the Five Elements of the Universe
There is a belief originated from China and shared in the Orient called "yin-yang and the five elements theory", oreumyangohaengin Korean.Old East Asian culture and its people’s lives were deeply based on nature, and the theory explains the natural system which the world is founded on.Yin-yang oreumyangmeans light and darkness, which are represented by the sun and the moon.Ohaengmeans the five elements; fire, water, tree, metal or gold, and earth, which compose the world we live in.
Yin-yang and the five elements theory symbolizes and provides interpretations for parts of the universe, such as colors, positions, and time (weather). The five basic colors, calledobangsaek -red, black, blue, white, and yellow-are colors that represent each of the five elements from fire to earth, in order. These colors also symbolize five positions -south, north, east, west, and the center. Then, the four positions - east, south, west, and north -correspond to each season- spring, summer, fall and winter. Though the basic five colors are also the traditional colors of China and Japan,they have different hues, meanings and usages in Korea.
The five colors ofobangsaekrepresent the five elements (fire, water, tree, metal or gold, and earth) that compose the universe, and symbolize five positions (south, north, east, west, and the center).
The Five Traditional Colors and their Variants
The colors ofobangsaekhave each of its own significations. Red, symbolizing creation, passion and loveis conceived to be a powerful color that wards off evil spirits. This belief is the reason why Koreans eat red bean soupon the day ofthe winter solstice. Black stands for wisdom, darkness, and death. Since black indicates death, the color is rarely used in palaces. However, judges wore black toembody honesty and honor. Blue signifies new birth, brightness, and clarity. Blue is typically used in clothes of maidens and vassals in palaces. The bride’s dress and thread decorations hung in marriage ceremoniesare also in red and blue. White, meaning truth, life and virginity, is the color that is loved by Koreans the most. Koreans liked to wear white clothes, and called themselves the “white-clad folk”. Finally, yellow or gold represented brightness and rays of sunlight. Gold ropes are used to mark holy sites and places that need protection, such as thehouse where a mother just gave birth to a child.
Ogansaekis another set of five colorsthat are made from the combination ofeach of the colors ofobangsaek. Twoobangsaekcolors are mixed to makeogansaekcolors; green (yellow+blue), light blue (blue+white), bright red (red+white), sulphur yellow (yellow+black), and violet (red+black). Thoughobangsaekis more representative thanogansaekas Korea's traditional colors, they are used harmoniously in traditional Korean design.
Ogansaekcolors are made by mixing two colors of obangsaek.
(Photo courtesy of http://cafe.naver.com/colorsun/65688)
How the Colors are Used Together
Obangsaekandogansaekare widely employedonhanbok, a traditional Korean outfit,and on food and architecture.Saekdong jeogori, a type ofhanbokworn by children, is adorned withsaekdong, stripes of many colors. Colors ofobangsaekandogansaekare used to makesaekdong, which is believed to drive away bad luck and bring good fortune. A lot of Korean foods make use of the colors as well. The most well-known of these foods isbibimbap, rice mixed with vegetables and meat, which the colors of the ingredients are beautifully arranged.Dancheong, which are patterns such as animals, plants and geometric shapes that embellish wood structures, is paintedinobangsaekandogansaek. The colorful patterns emanate mystique and express the dignity and authority of important structures, too.
Saekdong jeogori(1st picture),bibimbap(2nd picture), anddancheong(3rd picture)
(Photos courtesy of http://sula.kr/xe/7962,http://sweetcook.tistory.com/,https://pixabay.com/ko/)
Nowadays, it is difficult to find materials composed ofobangsaekandogansaek. However, the colors remainas motifs for contemporary Korean artworks and symbols. Korea's flagis composed of red, blue, white, and black, which arecolors ofobangsaek. In addition, theformer symbol and mottoof the City of Seoul, 'Hi Seoul',was composed of red, yellow, green and blue. Although not as widespread as the past,obangsaekandogansaekstilllive onto influence Korean lifestyle
