Professor criticizes sale of flawed South Korean flags, urges domestic awareness

Professor Seo Kyoung-duk has voiced strong criticism regarding the sale of incorrectly designed South Korean flags, known as Taegeukgi, in domestic traditional markets and on social media platforms. This issue has surfaced shortly before the August 15 Liberation Day.

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It is unacceptable to produce and sell products with incorrect designs related to the symbol of the Republic of Korea, not even overseas, but domestically.

Seo pointed out that while "incorrect Taegeukgi" have been a recurring problem with global brands, the discovery of such errors within South Korea itself is particularly concerning. He specifically mentioned the sale of slippers with reversed Taegeuk symbols at a well-known traditional market. "It is unacceptable to produce and sell products with incorrect designs related to the symbol of the Republic of Korea, not even overseas, but domestically," Seo stated.

He emphasized the need for greater diligence, especially for merchants who might be selling products manufactured abroad. "If you are selling products made overseas, merchants must verify them," he urged. With the increasing global popularity of Korean culture, or "Hallyu," Seo stressed that more caution is required when creating and selling merchandise related to South Korean symbols, particularly as foreign tourists are expected to increase.

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If you are selling products made overseas, merchants must verify them.

Furthermore, Seo noted that many posts related to Liberation Day events on social media also feature Taegeukgi designs with incorrect representations of the 'geon', 'gon', 'gam', and 'ri' trigrams. He concluded by calling for introspection within South Korea, stating, "We should awaken ourselves first, rather than just criticizing international brands for using incorrect Taegeukgi designs." This call comes after a previous controversy involving a global burger chain that distributed World Cup commemorative items with a Taegeukgi missing its trigrams.

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We should awaken ourselves first, rather than just criticizing international brands for using incorrect Taegeukgi designs.