Interior ministry starts flag campaign for 81st Liberation Day

The interior ministry said Thursday it will launch online and offline campaigns for South Korea's 81st Liberation Day, seeking to boost public engagement with the Taegeukgi. It said the campaign will give people more opportunities to encounter national symbols in daily life.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety is distributing keycap key rings bearing the Taegeukgi and Mugunghwa with NongHyup. The key rings can be hung from bags or keys. Vice Minister Kim Min-jae handed them out to employees at the Government Complex Seoul and later gave them to children at its Pureunbit daycare center.

CU will promote the "United by the Taegeukgi" campaign during August through its Pocket CU mobile app. The app will provide information on how to display the flag and its meaning, while urging users to fly it on Liberation Day. CU will also carry related notices at checkout counters and on digital displays during the second week of August.

Part of the sales proceeds from three Taegeukgi-themed items -- lunch boxes, kimbap and sandwiches -- will go to Mongolia's Lee Tae-jun Memorial Park in honor of independence activist Lee Tae-jun. CU will also hold a comment event thanking independence activists.

On Liberation Day, households are advised to hang the flag at the center or left side of gates or apartment balconies when viewed from outside. Households without flag holders can use window-mounted or vehicle flags, while apartment residents can use common flagpoles at building entrances. People who cannot display a physical flag can use a mobile wallpaper titled "Taegeukgi in My Hand" on their phones or social-media accounts.

The ministry will make basic Taegeukgi images available for download through its blog. "At least on Liberation Day, I hope many people will fly the Taegeukgi and, if that is not feasible, use 'Taegeukgi in My Hand' or other means to join in and reflect on the meaning of liberation," Kim said.