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영어

During the Daehan Empire when Gyeongungung Palace was the center of the national politics, many national symbols were invented and institutionalized. The national symbols of the time did not just remain within the world view of the Chinese civilization/barbarism which took China as the center of the world but they were gradually changed relevant to the world view of International Law based on the interactions among many nations. At that time, many devices representing the changed status of the ruler of Joseon from the king to the emperor were developed and institutionalized. The most prominent example is the construction of Wongudan( 丘壇) where the sacrifice for heaven and the coronation ceremony of the Korean emperor were performed. What is more, in order to represent the newly changed status of Gyeongungung as a main residence for the emperor, new buildings such as Junghwhajeon Hall were constructed and the symbol of sovereignty was also changed from phoenix to twin dragons. While in Geunjeongjeon Hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main residence of Joseon dynasty, a pattern of phoenix had been inscribed as a symbol for sovereignty, however, twin dragons came to be sculptured on the King’s path of the stone steps outside Junghwhajeon and on the ceiling inside the building, which are the symbol only allowed for the emperor. The representation of royal seals(御寶) also changed from the shape of a turtle to that of a dragon, which changes were nevertheless bound to the world view of Chinese civilization/barbarism. At the same time, Joseon began to make diplomatic ties with other countries such as US, UK and Germany and started to feel the need to make national symbols relevant to the relations based on International Law. Therefore, national symbols such as a national flag were invented. The national flag was firstly made in 1883, which was later on used for the visits of diplomatic missions, diplomatic documents and passports representing the Daehan Empire both within Korean peninsula and oversea. The national flag was more frequently employed from the late 1890’s for the march of the Emperor Gojong and Court Banquet within the palace replacing the flag of dragons, the former symbol of sovereignty. Moreover, the national flags were hung all around the city in the festive days such as the Emperor’s Birthday. This frequent use of the national flag as representation of the nation would lead to the formation of a new idea on the nation and the state. The juxtaposition of the traditional and the Western in the institutionalization of national symbols for sovereignty was a strategy of the Daehan Empire to deal with the changes within and outside Korean peninsula.