Taegeukgi Geon Gon Gam Ri Meaning and Positions: Easy 3-4-5-6 Memory Trick
On the Taegeukgi, Geon represents heaven, Gon represents earth, Gam represents water, and Ri represents fire. When facing the flag, Geon is at the upper left, Gam at the upper right, Ri at the lower left, and Gon at the lower right. Because the name order does not match their visual placement, the positions can be confusing, but the number of black line segments—3, 4, 5 and 6—provides an easy way to remember both their shapes and locations.
How is the Taegeukgi designed?
The Taegeukgi consists of a white background, a red-and-blue Taegeuk symbol in the center, and four black trigrams known as Geon, Gon, Gam and Ri in the corners.
- White background: represents brightness, purity and a love of peace
- Taegeuk symbol: represents the harmony and interaction of yin and yang
- Four trigrams: represent heaven, earth, water and fire
Together, the central Taegeuk and the four surrounding trigrams form a design representing harmony and change through yin and yang.
What do Geon, Gon, Gam and Ri mean?
Geon, Gon, Gam and Ri are the four black trigrams placed in the corners of the Taegeukgi. Their basic meanings can be remembered with four simple associations.
| Trigram | Shape | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Geon (乾) | ☰ | Heaven |
| Gon (坤) | ☷ | Earth |
| Gam (坎) | ☵ | Water |
| Ri (離) | ☲ | Fire |
For the meanings alone, remember the four pairs: Geon–heaven, Gon–earth, Gam–water, Ri–fire.
Where are the four trigrams located on the Korean flag?
When looking directly at the Taegeukgi, the four trigrams are positioned as follows.
| Position | Trigram | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Upper left | Geon ☰ | Heaven |
| Upper right | Gam ☵ | Water |
| Lower left | Ri ☲ | Fire |
| Lower right | Gon ☷ | Earth |
The four trigrams are not arranged clockwise in the same order as the name “Geon-Gon-Gam-Ri.”
The name is listed as Geon, Gon, Gam and Ri, while the top row is Geon and Gam and the bottom row is Ri and Gon. Remembering the positions separately is therefore easier.
Easy way to remember the trigrams: 3-4-5-6
If the positions are difficult to remember, count the separate black line segments in each trigram. Looking at the flag from the front and following upper left → lower left → upper right → lower right, the number of segments increases from 3 → 4 → 5 → 6.
- Upper-left Geon ☰ = 3 segments
- Lower-left Ri ☲ = 4 segments
- Upper-right Gam ☵ = 5 segments
- Lower-right Gon ☷ = 6 segments
Geon has three unbroken lines, so it has 3 segments. Ri has a break in the middle line, giving it 4 segments. Gam has breaks in the top and bottom lines, giving it 5 segments, while Gon has all three lines broken, creating 6 segments.
To remember the positions, follow a zigzag path from the upper left while counting 3-4-5-6. This connects the location of each trigram with its visual shape.
How to tell Gam and Ri apart
Geon and Gon are relatively easy to distinguish because all three lines are either completely unbroken or completely broken. Gam and Ri look more similar and are easier to confuse.
- Geon ☰: all three lines are unbroken
- Gon ☷: all three lines are broken
- Gam ☵: only the middle line is unbroken
- Ri ☲: only the middle line is broken
For Gam and Ri, the simplest distinction is to remember that Gam has a solid center, while Ri has a broken center.
What do the black lines in the trigrams represent?
Each line making up a trigram is called hyo (爻). An unbroken line represents yang, while a line broken in the middle represents yin. Different combinations of yin and yang form the four trigrams, which are arranged around the central Taegeuk symbol as part of the overall harmony of the flag.
Taegeukgi meanings at a glance
| Element | Meaning |
|---|---|
| White background | Brightness, purity and peace |
| Taegeuk symbol | Harmony of yin and yang |
| Geon ☰ | Heaven |
| Gon ☷ | Earth |
| Gam ☵ | Water |
| Ri ☲ | Fire |
To quickly recall the Taegeukgi trigrams, remember Geon–heaven, Gon–earth, Gam–water and Ri–fire.
For position, remember upper-left Geon / upper-right Gam / lower-left Ri / lower-right Gon.
Connecting those positions with the segment count 3-4-5-6 makes the shapes and locations easier to distinguish.
