The Korean War Commemorative Crest

    The focal point of the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemorative Crest is the three-lobed Taeguk, known as the sam Taeguk. The three lobes of the sam-Taeguk are as follows:
        Red and White stripes representing the United States
        Dark Blue representing South Korea
        The United Nations Light Blue with 22 Gold stars representing the 20 U.N. countries involved in the Korean War, plus one non-U.N. member--Italy--and the Republic of Korea.
    Traditionally, the Taeguk depicted on the flag of the Republic of Korea represents two states of being, Heaven and Earth (spiritual and physical). The sam-Taeguk stands for three states of being: Heaven, Earth and Man. Heaven represents the spiritual, Earth is the physical and Man is the intermediary who embodies both the spiritual and physical.
    The wreath and lettering in gold symbolizes honor and excellence.
    During the commemorative period, the nation will honor the Korean War veterans for the sacrifices they made to ensure a free and democratic South Korea.