N. Korea changes national flag's aspect ratio for 1st time since 1948

SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has revised its constitution to change its national flag's aspect ratio for the first time since its regime was established in 1948, according to the amended basic law posted on the website of Pyongyang's propaganda outlet.

Article 166 of the revised constitution posted on Naenara's website stipulates that the ratio of the flag's height to its width is 1 to 1.65, replacing the previous ratio of 1 to 2.

The change came as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sought to build his own governing style and national identity while retaining some legacies of his predecessors.

The flag's 1-to-2 ratio rule had remained unchanged in the law until the North's constitutional revision in September 2023.

Despite the ratio change, the overall design of the North's flag remains intact, consisting of a broad red stripe in the center, narrow white stripes above and below it, blue stripes above and below the white stripes, and a red five-pointed star in a white circle.

The constitution says the red stripe stands for the blood shed by anti-Japan fighters who dedicated their lives to defending the country's freedom and independence during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. The white circle and two white stripes symbolize people's loyalty to the nation's leader and ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

The two blue stripes represent the revolutionary spirit of the people struggling for peace, friendship and unity in the world, as well as the country's sovereignty, it said.

Observers said the change in the flag's aspect ratio might have reflected Pyongyang's efforts to craft a new national image under the incumbent leader Kim, the third-generation hereditary ruler.