North Korea’s Flag Was Designed by Soviets for Kim’s Grandfather, Now Kim Jong Un Is Changing It
North Korea is changing the proportions of its national flag for the first time since 1948, revising a historic emblem designed by the Soviet Union during the founding of Kim Il Sung’s state.
The revision comes as Kim Jong Un seeks to establish a national identity distinct from his predecessors while retaining symbols associated with his grandfather’s rule.
The change was incorporated into North Korea’s amended constitution, published on Nov. 13, 2026. Article 166 changes the flag’s height-to-width ratio from 1:2 to 1:1.65, making it shorter horizontally while preserving its iconic red, white, and blue design and red five-pointed star. The adjustment marks the first official change to the flag’s proportions in 78 years.
North Korea’s National Flag
North Korea’s national flag, formally known as the Ramhongsaek Konghwagukgi, was introduced in 1948, shortly before the establishment of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Its creation was closely connected to Soviet influence on the Korean Peninsula following Japan’s surrender in World War II.
Historical research discussed by KBS World Radio indicates that Soviet officials opposed retaining South Korea’s traditional national flag, the Taegeukgi, as the emblem of the emerging communist state.
Major General Lebedev, a Soviet military official, rejected the proposal to retain the Taegeukgi, insisting that a new communist government needed a different flag. The Soviet Union subsequently designed North Korea’s national emblem.
The account draws on testimony from Pak Il, an interpreter involved in discussions surrounding the flag’s production.
North Korean state narratives later attributed the flag’s creation to Kim Il Sung himself, reinforcing the founding leader’s revolutionary image. Research by Korean studies scholar Fyodor Tertitskiy documents how Soviet involvement was gradually removed from North Korean accounts of the flag’s origins.
What Has Kim Jong Un Changed?
Article 166 of the revised constitution specifies that the flag’s height-to-width ratio is now 1:1.65, replacing the previous 1:2 requirement.
The adjustment makes the flag less elongated horizontally while preserving its recognizable design. The central red stripe, narrow white stripes, blue bands, and red five-pointed star inside a white circle remain unchanged.
According to North Korea’s official explanation, the central red stripe represents the bloodshed by anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters who fought for the country’s freedom and independence between 1910 and 1945.
The white circle and stripes symbolize loyalty to the ruling Workers’ Party and its leader, while the blue stripes represent anti-imperialist independence, world peace, friendship, unity, and national sovereignty.
Kim’s Attempt to Create a New National Identity
The flag revision comes amid Kim Jong Un’s broader effort to redefine North Korea’s national identity, particularly in relation to South Korea.
In December 2023, Kim rejected the longstanding goal of peaceful reunification, describing relations between the two Koreas as those between hostile states.
North Korea subsequently removed references to reunification from its constitution and revised its national anthem in 2024, replacing a reference to the entire Korean Peninsula with the phrase “this world.”
These changes reflect Kim’s increasing emphasis on treating North Korea as a separate state rather than part of a historically unified Korean nation.
The flag revision adds another symbolic dimension to that effort. Instead of replacing the emblem inherited from his grandfather, Kim has changed its official specifications while preserving its recognizable appearance.
Although the adjustment may appear minor, altering the proportions of a national symbol that remained constitutionally unchanged for nearly eight decades carries political significance. It allows Kim to reshape North Korea’s national image while retaining the revolutionary legacy associated with Kim Il Sung.
