The Korean Dragon
The dragon with a pearl, the municipal symbol of Ulsan (South Korea): what the official manual says, what is attributed to the dragon and what remains to be confirmed about the flag.
A dragon rising strongly into the sky, with a pearl in its mouth: that is the municipal symbol of Ulsan, a metropolitan city in South Korea. According to FOTW, it is the motif associated with the city flag. However, the official source we consulted describes the symbol, not a flag with fixed colours, and here we keep those two things apart.
The pearl
In the official English text the pearl is a «magical bead». In the Korean text it is called yeouiju (여의주).
What the official symbol says
The city’s website describes the symbol as a dragon that holds the bead in its mouth and rises with vigour. Its official meaning is that it expresses the city’s enterprising spirit, which seeks a balance between people and nature, and between industry and culture. According to the same source, it symbolises Ulsan’s aim to become an advanced industrial city in the Pan-Pacific era.
The designation dates do not match between the two versions of the website: the Korean one gives 1 January 1995, and the English one gives 8 April 2014. We have not been able to confirm which is current.
The colours
The colour manual sets two tones:
- Primary colour: PANTONE 321C, for the triangle, the mountain shape and the teal.
- Secondary colour: PANTONE 1655C, for a small red circle, on a white background.
The manual does not expressly say that the red circle is the pearl.
What is attributed to the dragon
Some readings, which are not part of the official text, describe the dragon as a protector. FOTW records that it represents the dragon that defends the Tae Hwa temple, and that three dragons symbolise the East Sea. These are local or heritage traditions, not a rule.
What is not confirmed about the flag
- We have not found an official description of a municipal flag with its colours, proportion or adoption date.
- The flag image that FOTW shows is not accompanied by an official text describing it.
For that reason, this entry deals with the municipal symbol, which does have an official description, and does not fix the exact design of the flag.
