Handmade Flag of Korea
Korea was conceptualized by the Japanese imperialists as forming “one body”, naisen ittai (内鮮一体), with Japan. Under this concept, policies were put into place that were designed to eliminate Korean identity and refashion the Korean people as subjects of the emperor. These assimilation policies targeted language, history, culture, and even the physical landscape. Probably the most significant policy, soshi kaimei (創氏改名), attacked Korean identity at the most profound and personal level by essentially requiring Koreans to adopt Japanese names.
With the Japanese surrender on August 15th, 1945, Koreans celebrated liberation from colonial rule by creating handmade Korean flags and displaying them in public spaces. After decades of suppression, these handmade flags represented a reassertion of Korean identity and national independence. The flag depicted in this image was made by the late Kim Hae-Sung.