Last modified: 2014-11-29 by zoltán horváth
Keywords: korea | south korea | seoul | street | mountains: 8 |
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![[Flag of Seoul]](../images/k/kr-11.gif)
image by Pascal Gross
![[Seoul city symbol]](../misc/kr-11)01.gif)
contributed by Dov Gutterman
The symbol (same as the one on the flag) was changed in 1996. in the city
site it is written:
(http://english.metro.seoul.kr/about/cityfacts/quick2.cfm#emblem)
The Seoul Metropolitan City has created its new emblem in order to show
the bright future of the capital city of the Republic of Korea, which will
be developing to a leading world city in the era of localization in the 21st
century.
The new emblem has been used since Oct. 28, 1996 instead of the old one
that had represented the city since 1947. The new emblem figures the Korean
letters, 1/4?ï (Seoul), into mountains, sun and the Han River of Seoul,
and symbolizes in general the look of a man in the merry mood.
Thus, it symbolizes Seoul tilting toward a human-oriented city. In the
context of nature, human and city, the green mountain means love of
environment, blue Han River signifying history and vitality, and the sun in
the center stands for future and vision. The emblem was designed on the
basis of the national roots, so that it can become the symbol of opening
today and tomorrow of Seoul. The basic idea for the design stems from 1/4?ï
and drawings by two prominent painters of the Chosun Dynasty (1392-1910)
"Mokmyokchodon" by "Kyomjae" Chong son and "Mudong
(dancing boy)" by "Tanwon" Kim Hong-do
Dov Gutterman, 15 March 1999
![[Flag of Seoul]](../images/k/kr-11var.gif)
image by Randy Young, 28 November 2014
While wandering around Seoul and neighboring Gyeonggi
Province on my recent trip to South Korea, I noticed that the provincial
flag being flown in Seoul was not the same as the one displayed here. The flag
that I saw everywhere in the Seoul metropolitan area was very similar to the one
we have, with the metropolitan symbol centered on a white field, but without any
of the writing in English or Hangul around it. It is only the three-colored,
Y-shaped symbol on a white field. I don't know if this is simply a variant of
the flag originally reported by Dov Gutterman in March 1999, or if the flag
design has officially changed in the 15 years since then. But at no point did I
see one with the writing on it as we have displayed above.
Randy Young, 28 November 2014
![[old flag of Seoul]](../images/k/kr-11old.gif)
The old emblem was chosen through a prize contest to commemorate the
renaming of Seoul "Seoul Free Special City" on Sept. 28, 1946, and
had been used since April 1, 1947 until it was replaced by the new one. The
circle in the center of the emblem represents street. and the octagonal
symbol stands for eight mountains surrounding Seoul _Nam-san, An-san,
Inwang-san, Pukak-san, Nak-san, Muhag-bong, Wau-san, Ung-bong.
Source: Soeul website
Dov Gutterman, 15 March 1999
![[old flag of Seoul]](../images/k/kr-polso.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 04 April 2010
The purple flag charged with winged yellow eagle holding scales on hibiscus and
yin-yang with its name in white Korean letter.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 04 April 2010