진관사 태극기의 형태와 그 역사적 의의

Abstract

In the course of a Buddhist service dismantling and restoring Chilseonggak (a shrine) in Jinkwansa temple, Taegukgi which wrapped various newspapers and leaflets was discovered. It was the first Taegukgi discovered in a Buddhist temple, and it is an important basis to make the people understand the history of Taegukgi and define the activity of an independence movement at home and abroad as well as in the religious world of Buddhism and its meaning. In the article I examined the shape of Taegukgi discovered in Jinkwansa temple, its making time and place and its historical meaning in order to clarify its historical value. Compared with the contemporary flag, Taegukgi discovered in Jinkwansa temple had the shape with extremely curved yin and yang, and the location of yin and yang in it turned inside out. Among the Four Trigrams for divination in Taegukgi, the location of khan and li was switched. Accordingly, if the shape of its yin-yang symbol turns inside out, Taegukgi discovered in Jinkwansa temple is almost similar to the national flag decided on by the Korea’s provisional government. Considering these facts, it seems that Taegukgi with the similar shape to Jinkwansa’s Taegukgi, though its shape is different from each other, - particularly the location of the Four Trigrams for divination - was gradually decided on by the Korea’s provisional government. The red part of the yin-yang symbol in Taegukgi discovered in Jinkwansa temple was removed from ground cloth, and other cloth was attached to that part from the backside, and then backstitched elaborately by a sewing machine. Considering that yin of the yin-yang symbol and the Four Trigrams for divination in Taegukgi was recoated with black India ink, it seems that it was made by the national flag of Japan painted by India ink. It can be said that this was strong expression of independence will, anti-Japanese resistance consciousness and patriotism. So far many claims were presented that many Taegukgis were painted on the national flag of Japan during Japanese colonial rule of Korea, however, Taegukgi discovered in Jinkwansa temple seems to be the only one with its prototype. The size of taegukgi discovered in Jinkwansa temple is as follows; 88cm wide, 70cm long, and the diameter of the yin-yang symbol is 32cm. And the color of ground cotton cloth faded a little as long time went by. A small hole artificially made at the left lower corner of khan tells us that a flagpole was installed at the left side of the flag as a current practice. As the left upper corner of the flag in which khien is located was burned and there are many holes in the flag, there’s a strong possibility that it was used at the time of Samil Independence Movement or other events, and then it was burned on the spot. Considering the publication time of the newspapers and leaflets which discovered with Taegukgi, it seems that the flag was made in 1919. As the flag was made by the national flag of Japan, there’s a strong possibility that it was made at home at the time of Samil Independence Movement and used on the spot. But considering that Anti-Japanese Buddhism monks like Baek Cho-Wol, Lee Jong-Wook, Shin Sang-Wan and others briskly interchanged opinions with the Korea’s provisional government and carried out the independence movement, the possibility can not be ruled out that Taegukgi discovered in Jinkwansa temple was made and used by the government-in-exile based in Shanghai or its affiliated organization or related organization and it was brought in with the newspapers and others. The person who wrapped the newspapers and leaflets with the flag and concealed them in Chilseonggak, Jinkwansa temple seems to be Baek Cho-Wol or a Buddhism monk who had close relations with him. In fact, Baek Cho-Wol handled all independence movements in the religious world of Buddhism at home, that is, publishing “Hyeoksingongbo - an underground press”, he instilled independence consciousness into the hearts of people, and raising funds from the religious world of Buddhism, he offered funds to the provisional government and an army for national independence. Leading a hurrah demonstration, he was arrested on 2nd of December. It seems that he or someone in Jinkwansa temple stored the flag in such an acute situation, and then concealed it in Chilseonggak to avoid the surveillance of Japanese imperialism. Taegukgi discovered in Jankwansa temple has significant historical value in the points that ① it was made in 1919 when Samil Independence Movement was carried and the Korea’s provisional government was established ② as it was the oldest one painted on the national flag of Japan, it strongly expressed independence will and anti-Japanese resistance consciousness ③ it proved that the religious world of Buddhism actively interchanged opinions with the provisional government right after its establishment and carried out the independence movement ④ as it was the first one discovered in a Buddhist temple, it revealed that the Buddhist temple represented by Jinkwansa temple played the role of a rear base or a foothold in the course of the independence movement. Taegukgi, the design of the yin-yang symbol and Taegukgi related articles described in “Dongnip Sinmoon - a paper”, “Chosun Tongnip Shinmun - a paper”, “Jayoo Sinjongbo - a paper” and “Warning - a leaflet” which were discovered together with Taegukgi in Jinkwansa temple provide us with an important clue to bring the shape and meaning of Taegukgi to light. It seems that historically significant Taegukgi discovered in Jinkwansa temple would contribute to revealing the history of Taegukgi, and studying and lighting up the independence movement of the religious world of Buddhism or Jinkwansa temple as well as the history of the Korean independence movement.