Flag of North Korea
Officially Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Locally Chosŏn · 조선
What the flag looks like
A wide red central band bordered above and below by thin white stripes and then blue stripes, with a white disc containing a red five-pointed star in the red band towards the hoist.
What it means
Red represents revolutionary traditions, white purity and unity, and blue sovereignty and peace; the red star stands for communism.
How to remember it
North Korea
has a red star inside a white circle on a broad red band between blue stripes; South Korea
is a white flag with a red-and-blue yin-yang.
Fun facts
- The village of Kijong-dong near the border with South Korea has a flagpole about 160 meters tall, one of the tallest in the world.
- North Korea officially calls itself the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
North Korea at a glance
- Capital
- Pyongyang
- Region
- Eastern Asia
- Population
- 26 million
- Area
- 120,538 km²
- Languages
- Korean
- Currency
- North Korean won (₩)
- Flag adopted
- 1948
Flags often confused with North Korea
- Costa Rica: Costa Rica and North Korea both run blue, white, red, white, blue. North Korea has very thin white stripes and a red star in a white disc; Costa Rica has wider white stripes and an oval coat of arms.