Editing Flag of North Korea (section)

=== Symbolism ===
[[File:Vertical Flag of North Korea.svg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|{{FIAV|Vertical exclusive}} Vertical display of the flag]]

Different sources give conflicting explanations of the flag's symbolism. According to an article published on 8 August 2013 in the ''[[Rodong Sinmun]]'', the official newspaper of the ruling [[Workers' Party of Korea]], Kim Il Sung gave the following significance to the flag's elements after designing it:{{sfn|Tertitskiy|2014}}

{{blockquote|The red colour of the flag symbolises the anti-Japanese fervour, the red blood shed by the Korean patriots and the invincible might of our people firmly united to support the Republic. The white colour symbolises the one bloodline, one land, one language, one culture of our monoethnic country, which lived in purity. And blue stands for the gallant visage of our people, symbolising the spirit of the Korean people fighting for world peace and progress.}}

Pak Il, a [[Koryo-saram|Soviet-Korean]] interpreter who claims to have translated from [[Russian language|Russian]] the original flag designs proposed by the [[Soviet government]], claimed that the flag was initially intended to be hoisted vertically, and gave the following as the original explanation of the flag's symbolism:{{sfn|Tertitskiy|2016|p=270}}

{{blockquote|The red stripe was to symbolise the land of the new Korea, illuminated by the red star of [[communism]]. The blue stripes surrounding the flag were to symbolise the seas surrounding the [[Korean peninsula]] [the [[Yellow Sea]] and the [[Sea of Japan]]].}}

The US [[Central Intelligence Agency]]'s ''[[The World Factbook|World Factbook]]'' meanwhile states that the colours of the flag{{snd}}red, white, and blue{{snd}}are considered [[national colours]] and symbolise, respectively: revolutionary traditions; purity, strength, and dignity; and sovereignty, peace, and friendship. It also states that the red star is a national symbol and represents [[socialism]].{{sfn|Central Intelligence Agency|2024}}