Kim Jong Un redesigns North Korea’s flag leaving behind old Soviet version

North Korea unveils new flag after 78 years.

You can now feel that same dread with a slightly more modern-looking flag.

That's because North Korea has redesigned its national flag for the first time in 78 years.

According to NK News, the country has officially shortened the width of its flag, while keeping its familiar colours and red star.

Previously, the flag's height-to-width ratio was 1:2, meaning it was twice as wide as it was tall.

That has now changed to 1:1.65, making the flag noticeably shorter in width.

La RPDC oficializa el cambio de su bandera, sus sitios webs oficiales lucen la nueva bandera de Corea. Antes / Ahora https://t.co/rX49bKeqAG

— Fútbol en Corea del Norte 🇰🇵 ⚽ (@futbolrpdc) November 11, 2026

The two white stripes separating the central red section from the blue sections also appear thicker than before.

The change was confirmed in Article 166 of North Korea's revised constitution, published on the state-run website Naenara, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Why has North Korea changed its flag?

North Korea has not publicly explained why it decided to change the flag's proportions after nearly eight decades.

However, analysts believe the move could be part of Kim Jong Un's efforts to establish a national identity distinct from that of his predecessors.

The original flag was introduced in 1948, when the country was established under Kim Il Sung, the current leader's grandfather.

And this is not the first time Kim Jong Un has made changes to the country's national symbols.

In 2024, North Korea changed the lyrics of its national anthem, removing a geographical reference traditionally associated with the entire Korean Peninsula.

The change came as Kim increasingly distanced his country from the idea of reunification with South Korea.

His government has since described the two countries as separate, hostile states, abandoning its longstanding ambition of reunification.

According to The Korea Herald, the latest flag change is being interpreted as another step in establishing a distinct national identity under Kim's leadership.

What do the colours of North Korea's flag mean?

Despite its new proportions, the flag still features a large red stripe across the middle, bordered by white and blue stripes, with a red five-pointed star inside a white circle.

According to the country's official explanation, the red represents the blood shed by fighters who resisted Japanese colonial rule.

The white circle and stripes symbolise loyalty to the country's leadership and ruling Workers' Party, while the blue represents sovereignty, peace and international friendship.

Meanwhile, Kim Jong Un himself last month made headlines for a rather different reason, after North Korean state media released photographs of him following rumours that he had died.