North Korea has widened the white and blue stripes on its national flag, according to Milliyet. The report describes it as the first change to a design preserved since 1948. The alteration to a symbol associated with founding leader Kim Il Sung’s legacy has prompted speculation about its political significance, but the government has issued no official explanation.
According to Milliyet, North Korea adopted the flag proposed by the Soviet Union when it was established as a state in 1948. It adopted a 1:2 ratio, matching the Soviet flag at the time, and rejected proposals to use a different ratio.
State propaganda closely associated the flag with Kim Il Sung. It was therefore seen not only as a national symbol but also as part of the founding leader’s legacy. The report says this stance kept the flag’s design and use off the negotiating table for many years, even internationally.
The political significance attributed to the flag changes comes from interpretations of their historical context, not from a stated government rationale. According to an NK News analysis cited by Milliyet, altering a symbol closely associated with Kim Il Sung is politically significant in itself. That interpretation must, however, be distinguished from the explanation North Korea’s government has yet to give. The report says NK News noted that Kim Jong Un has at times taken a different path from his predecessors while shaping his policies and his place in the country’s historical hierarchy. The flag change is being considered in that context. Its timing after the new constitution has also prompted suggestions of a possible political connection between the two developments; that connection is not an officially stated reason.
The reported changes concern the proportions of the coloured areas: the white stripes have been made thicker, and the blue stripes have been widened by about a third.
No. According to Milliyet, the government has yet to issue an official explanation for choosing the new proportions.What has changed in the design?
The historical significance of the design adopted in 1948
How should the change’s political significance be interpreted?
Questions about the flag change
Has the entire flag been redesigned?
Has North Korea’s government explained the change?