Taegeuk (, ) is a Korean term cognate with the Chinese term Taiji (Wade-Giles spelling: T'ai-chi), meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity / duality". The symbol was chosen for the design of the Korean national flag in the 1880s, swapping out the black and white color scheme often seen in most taijitu illustrations and substituting blue and red, respectively, along with a horizontal separator, as opposed to vertical. South Koreans commonly refer to their national flag as (Hangeul: , with gi; 기 meaning "flag" or "banner"). This particular color-themed taegeuk symbol (i.e. using blue and red) is typically associated with Korean tradition and represents balance in the universe; the red half represents positive cosmic forces, and the blue half represents the complementary or opposing, negative cosmic forces. It is also used in Korean shamanism, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. History The Taegeuk diagram has been existent for the majority of written Korean history. The origins of the interlocking-sinusoid design in Korea can be traced to as early as the Goguryeo or Silla period, e.g. in the decoration of a sword, dated to the 5th or 6th century, recovered from the grave of Michu of Silla, or an artifact with the taegeuk pattern of similar age found in the Bogam-ri tombs of Baekje at Naju, South Jeolla Province in 2008. In the compound of Gameunsa, a temple built in AD 628 during the reign of King Jinpyeong of Silla, a stone object, perhaps the foundation of a pagoda, is carved with the taegeuk design. In Gojoseon, the ancient kingdom of Joseon, the design was used to express the hope for harmony of yin and yang. It is likely due to the earliest spread of ancient Chinese culture in Gojoseon, especially during the early Zhou dynasty. Today the TaeGeuk is usually associated with Korean tradition and represents balance in the universe, as mentioned in the previous section (red = 양; yang, or positive cosmic forces, and blue = 음; yin, or negative cosmic forces). Among its many religious connotations (Korean Confucianism; Taoism in Korea; Korean Buddhism), the taeguk is also present in Korean shamanism. South Korean flag The Taegeuk symbol is most prominently displayed in the center of South Korea's national flag, called the taegeukgi, literally taegeuk flag.(along with four of the eight trigrams used in divination). Because of the Taegeuk's association with the national flag, it