C40233

South Korea · Red

Korean Red

Korean Red

#C40233
HEX#C40233
RGB196, 2, 51
CMYK0 99 74 23
HSL345° 98% 39%
Color FamilyRed
South KoreaRedTextileCeremonyArchitecture
Cultural Story

Korean Red

Korean Red is the South color in the Five Directions system, representing fire and summer. In Korean culture, red wards off evil—village entrances hang red cloth, and newborns wear red. The South Korean flag's upper red half represents yang (positive).

Origin

The South color in Korea's Five Directions system, dyed with safflower or madder.

Symbolism

Korean Red symbolizes the south, summer, passion, and protection from evil.

Historical Origin

Red use in Korea dates to ancient Gojoseon (2333 BCE).

Traditional Applications
Textile
Ceremony
Architecture
Related Poems
남쪽의 불, 생명의 빛.
—— 传统
Related Colors

Cinnabar Red

Cinnabar Red

China

Cinnabar is one of China's oldest pigments, used for pottery decoration since the Neolithic Age. After Qin Shi Huang unified China, cinnabar became the standard color for official seals, giving rise to the term "vermillion brush" for imperial decrees.

PaintingTextileCeremony

Vermilion

Vermilion

Japan

Vermilion represents life's power and protection from evil in Japanese tradition. The most iconic Japanese visual symbol—the torii gate—is almost always vermilion. Fushimi Inari's "Thousand Torii Gates" form a breathtaking red tunnel. Shinto believes vermilion wards off evil, used in shrines, amulets, and bridges.

PaintingTextileCeremony