20-07-2025
Denny Taegeukgi lights up Seoul to mark 80 years of liberty
Immersive video of Korea's national flag shown at National Museum Korea, Shinsegae Square's outdoor LED screens
The oldest remaining prototype of the Taegeukgi, South Korea's national flag, is being displayed on large screens in Seoul to mark the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule.
An immersive video featuring the historic flag will be shown on the National Museum of Korea's outdoor light-emitting diode screen until Oct. 12, as well as at Shinsegae Square in Myeong-dong every 10 minutes through Aug. 15, which is the Liberation Day holiday.
The "Denny" version of the Taegeukgi, housed at the state-run museum, is the oldest and the largest extant of Korea's national flag, measuring 262 centimeters in width and 182.5 centimeters in length.
The flag was part of a collection held by Owen Nickerson Denny (1838-1900), an American diplomatic adviser to King Gojeong in 1886. The flag was presented by the Joseon era's King Gojong (1863-1907) to Owen Denny around 1890, before he left the country the following year. His descendant, William Ralston, donated the flag to the NMK in 1981, according to the museum.
The one-minute video of the flag brings to life the history and spirit of Korea through the Denny Taegeukgi, using powerful visuals to show its journey from oppression to hope and national pride.
It opens with a realistic re-creation of the original flag, made of white cotton with a red and blue taeguk and hand-stitched blue trigrams. Shadows and darkness soon follow, representing the dark period of Japanese colonization and Korea's suffering. As the light returns, the flag gradually regains its colors, representing hope and restoration.
The original flag will also be physically displayed at the national museum until Oct. 12 as part of the special exhibition "80th Anniversary of Liberation: Faces We Meet Anew," in celebration of Liberation Day.
"The museum has created a digital piece that brings the history and meaning of the Denny Taegeukgi to life, as part of the museum's efforts to combine new technology with cultural stories. We will continue to create innovative content that leverages technology to further elevate the museum's standing," Kim Jae-hong, the NMK's director general, said in a press release.
