Ahead of Liberation Day, cases were found in which incorrect Taegeukgi designs were used one after another at well-known traditional markets in Korea and on social networking services (SNS).
Seo Kyung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, said on the 6th via his SNS that "slipper accessories with the colors of the taegeuk pattern reversed were being sold at a well-known traditional market in Korea."
He added, "Ahead of Liberation Day, many Taegeukgi images with the trigrams in the wrong positions are also being used in promotional materials for various events taking place on SNS."
Seo said, "It is unacceptable to manufacture and sell products related to the Taegeukgi, the symbol of the Republic of Korea, incorrectly in our own country, not overseas," and noted, "If the products were made overseas and sold here, merchants should have verified them in advance."
He stressed, "Rather than only criticizing famous overseas brands for using incorrect Taegeukgi designs, we should first reflect on ourselves."
Seo also mentioned that the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea is increasing with the recent spread of the Korean Wave.
He said, "As the Korean Wave spreads widely around the world, the number of overseas tourists is gradually increasing," and urged, "All the more at times like this, we must be more cautious when producing and selling products related to the symbols of the Republic of Korea."