Recently, a controversy erupted over an upside-down Taegukgi displayed on a banner installed by Incheon City to commemorate Liberation Day. Similar imagery was also captured at the Incheon Songdo Fireworks Festival.
In addition, past instances of President Lee Jae-myung and Prime Minister Kim Min-seok wearing upside-down Taegukgi badges have resurfaced, raising suspicions of intentionality.
Earlier, Incheon City hung a banner near the back entrance of City Hall to celebrate the 81st Liberation Day, featuring the phrase "The Day We Restore the Light of Liberation" alongside an image of an independence activist holding the Taegukgi above their head. However, online critics pointed out that the red and blue positions of the Taegukgi were reversed compared to the standard flag.
As the controversy grew, Incheon officials clarified that the design was not a mistake but rather an artistic representation of the activist holding the flag overhead. Despite this explanation, the issue did not subside, and Incheon ultimately removed the banner.
Compounding the situation, similar upside-down imagery was captured again after the banner's removal. A video recorded by a resident during the fireworks festival on August 9 showed what appeared to be an inverted Taegukgi. The footage included a conversation between the resident and their child discussing the unusual orientation of the flag, prompting renewed questions online about the choice of imagery.
The controversy surrounding the upside-down Taegukgi is not limited to Incheon. In the past, progressive politicians have faced similar scrutiny. On July 10, 2024, then-Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung was seen wearing a Taegukgi badge with the top and bottom reversed during a press conference announcing his candidacy for party leader. When reporters pointed it out, he explained, "The badge kept turning. There was no other intention."
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has also been caught wearing an upside-down Taegukgi badge on two occasions. The first instance occurred during a K-Government briefing at Jeonbuk National University in January 2026, and the second was during a commemorative photo at Tsinghua University in Beijing in June. Notably, while Kim's badge appeared correctly oriented during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the same day, the Tsinghua photo showed the badge upside down. The Prime Minister's office stated, "Neither the photographer, editor, nor anyone who reviewed it noticed the issue."
This has led to skepticism online, with many arguing that such repeated errors cannot be dismissed as mere mistakes. Comments included, "One mistake might be excusable, but two?" and "Is it reasonable that the protocol team for the Prime Minister couldn't manage a single badge?"
As the incidents involving the Incheon banner, the fireworks festival, and the past badge-wearing cases of Lee and Kim come to light, some are questioning whether there is a political motive behind the upside-down Taegukgi. Some internet users have suggested that the inverted flag resembles symbols used by the Provisional People's Committee of North Korea before the establishment of the North Korean regime, attributing political significance to the imagery.
The Provisional People's Committee of North Korea was established as a transitional government under Soviet military rule in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula after World War II, officially launching on February 8, 1946, by uniting various factions in the region, with Kim Il-sung as its chairman.
Ultimately, this controversy raises questions about whether the repeated appearances of the upside-down Taegukgi at significant national events, including Liberation Day, can be attributed to simple mistakes or if there is a deeper intention behind them. While no objective evidence has yet been confirmed to support these claims, the debate over whether the repeated errors in the orientation of the Taegukgi are mere protocol oversights or indicative of ulterior motives is likely to continue.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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