The national great seal is used on important national documents. Consequently,
the stamping of the Guksae is the final step of a national undertaking. It thus
makes history, so to speak. The national great seal symbolizes national authority,
power, and culture.
The government adopted the new national great seal on February 1, 1999, to mark
the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Korea and to reflect
the cultural heritage.
The handle of the new national great seal is a modernistic sculpture of a pair
of phoenix about to take flight with a rose of Sharon, the national flower,
in its beak. It symbolizes the wish for Korea to become a central nation in
the world in the 2000s, with national fortunes rising like the flight of the
phoenix. The Korean letters for the Republic of Korea are carved in Hangeul
in honor of King Sejong the Great, who had his scholars develop Hangeul.
Size and Shape
- It is made of 18k gold and weighs 2.15 kilograms.
- It is 10.1 centimeters square and 10 centimeters tall.
- The handle is in the shape of a pair of phoenix about to take flight
with a rose of Sharon in its beak.
- Lettering is in Hangeul.
- The face of the seal is patterned after the seal used by King Sejong
the Great (r.1418-1450) of the Joseon Kingdom.
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Though
the inviolable authority and sacredness of the national great seal have faded
since the days when Korea was under monarchs who needed the royal seal to rule,
its symbolic importance remains. The government still stamps the Guksae on such
documents as the Constitution, certificates of national decorations, appointments
of government managerial officials, diplomatic credentials, and important diplomatic
papers.